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Cuban Health Care: a Work in Progress

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Cuban Health Care: a Work in Progress MEDICC Medical Education Cooperation with Cuba Cuban Health Care: A Work in Progress Since 1959, Cuba has pursued a health strategy founded Did You Know? on universal access, prevention, and community-based medicine. Launched with the Rural Health Service in Cuba is among the top 20 countries in progress towards the 1960 when doctors fresh from medical school fanned UN Millennium Development Goals out to remote regions, providing medical care to many rural people for the first time this strategy evolved into Cuba has the lowest HIV rate in the Americas a single public health system featuring services free to The leading causes of death are the same for the USA and patients, with particular focus on the most vulnerable Cuba (heart disease, cancer, chronic lower respiratory populations. diseases, stroke, and unintentional injury) Early and dramatic improvements eliminated many Doctor-to-patient ratio in Cuba is among the world s highest; vaccine-preventable diseases altogether, and meant that 59% of physicians are women diarrheal and other infectious diseases, malnutrition, A woman born in Maryland has the same life expectancy as a and parasites were no longer major health problems. woman born in Matanzas province in central Cuba Those gains prompted Cuba s health system to develop further: today, a family doctor-nurse program and Cuba has the lowest infant mortality rate in the hemisphere: a nearly 500 clinics locate primary care in communities child born in the eastern mountains of Cuba has a better nationwide. This is coupled with a national network of chance of survival than a newborn in Washington DC some 200 hospitals; medical and health sciences schools Save the Children ranks Cuba as the #1 developing country to in each province; a biotechnology industry producing be a mother before Israel, Brazil, Turkey and 75 others medicines, vaccines, and therapeutic applications for domestic use and registered in 60 countries; and Cuban medical schools enroll some 50,000 students, nearly specific programs for improving the nations health, half on scholarship from other poor nations, and several such as those for older adults; maternal and child thousand Cuban health professionals volunteer in Africa, Asia health; infectious diseases (including HIV/AIDS); and and Latin America non-communicable chronic conditions. Taken together, these initiatives help explain why MEDICC (Medical Education Cooperation with Cuba) Cuba s health indicators are on par with those of the A non-profit organization founded in 1997 to enhance cooperation United States, with fewer disparities. The country s among the US, Cuban, and global health communities aimed at better health challenges now resemble those of wealthier health outcomes. The organization's mission is to support education nations facing aging populations, a burgeoning chronic and development of human resources in health committed to equitable disease burden, rising rates of overweight and obesity, access and quality care. MEDICC's programs include publication of and other complex health issues including climate the MEDICC Review journal focusing on Cuban health and medical change and the multisector challenge to prioritize research and outcomes; MD Pipeline to Community Service, supporting US students and graduates of Cuba's Latin American health in all policies. Medical School who return to practice in US medically underserved communities; Community Partnerships for Health Equity, sharing Where Cuba doesn t resemble wealthier nations is in Cuban health strategies and practice with US community leaders and resources available to tackle these issues: the global academic partners searching for improved health outcomes; textbooks recession, coupled with the US embargo and and other assistance to low-income students from over 100 nations who receive full scholarships from Cuba to study medicine, in return inefficiencies in the domestic economy, have forced for a pledge to practice in shortage areas in their home countries; and Cuban policymakers and health professionals to innovate Professional & Institutional Bridges to Better Health, supporting and adapt anew. Today, Cuban health care s biggest exchanges between Cuban and US health professionals, their challenge is the national reorganization under way to cut organizations and institutions. costs, while aiming to improve quality, equitable health MEDICC is a consultant to Marazul travel agency for care for the country s 11.2 million people. health professionals research in Cuba..
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