The International Contingent of Doctors Specialized in Disasters and Serious Epidemics "Henry Reeve" (Spanish: Contingente Internacional de médicos especializados en situaciones de desastre y graves epidemias "Henry Reeve"), better known as The Henry Reeve Brigade, is a Cuban group of medical professionals established by Fidel Castro in September 2005 with the mission of international medical solidarity, deployed worldwide in major health crises.
[1] In 2005, Fidel Castro offered to send more than 1,500 medical professionals to help the people of the United States of America in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina.
The offer was declined, and the newly formed contingent got the name The Henry Reeve brigade, commemorating the New York-born brigadier of Cuban Liberation Army in the Ten Years' War, Henry Reeve.
[4] Since 2005, 28 groups from the Brigade have carried out humanitarian missions in 22 countries, with almost 8,000 medical professionals fighting the effects of 16 floods, eight hurricanes, eight earthquakes, four epidemics including three teams that faced the West African Ebola virus epidemic.
The award was "in recognition of its emergency medical assistance to more than 3.5 million people in 21 countries affected by disasters and epidemics since the founding of the Brigade in September 2005".