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Overview

China supports manufacturing plant for glucometers, biosensors, and other diagnostic equipment

Commitment Year•2014Country of Activity•CubaSector•HealthFlow Type•Vague TBD

Status

Project lifecycle

Completion

Pipeline: PledgePipeline: CommitmentImplementationCompletion

Timeline

Key dates

Commitment date
Jan 1, 2014
End (actual)
Jul 22, 2014

Geospatial footprint

Map overview

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This project took place in the Mariel Special Development Zone (ZEDM). More detailed locational information can be found at https://www.openstreetmap.org/relation/6744914#map=13/22.9932/-82.7957

Stakeholders

Organizations involved in projects and activities supported by financial and in-kind transfers from Chinese government and state-owned entities

Funding agencies

Government Agencies

  • Unspecified Chinese Government Institution

Implementing agencies

Government Agencies

  • Government of Cuba

Private Sector

  • SinoCare Group

Loan description

China supports manufacturing plant for glucometers, biosensors, and other diagnostic equipment

Narrative

Full Description

Project narrative

On 22 July, 2014, China and Cuba jointly held the inauguration ceremony of a new manufacturing plant for biosensors, which measure the level of glucose in a diabetes patient’s blood, in Havana. The plant, attached to the Cuban Immunoassay Center (CIE), will allow for the distribution of sensors to some 800,000 known diabetics in the country. The modern facility’s creation came as a result of a government decision to make this type of equipment available to patients to support better management of the disease with regular measurement of glucose in the blood via a simple procedure, which the patient can perform personally. The plant will be managed in cooperation with the SinoCare, which is a Chinese company owned by the global investment firm, KKR. This plant is the result of a Memorandum of Understanding on cooperation in the field of biotechnology signed in 2004, although it is unclear what form Chinese financing took.

Staff comments

According to one source, this plant didn't materialize, but the Chinese Embassy website definitely specifies an inauguration ceremony (See: China-Cuba Relations: Assessing US Stakes). This source also claims this project is a joint venture.