Universal health coverage and universal access to health care. The health system should cooperate in global health activities. Public health in cuba is not a priority, my public health class teacher had finally said something that brought me back from daydreaming it is an obsession. It may be struggling but i cannot think of any health care system around the world that isnt struggling at some extent. Although mutual awareness has been limited by longterm political hostilities between the united states and cuban governments, the history and details of the cuban health system indicate that their health system merits attention as an example of a national integrated approach resulting in improved health status. The cuban constitution defines the country as an independent, sovereign, democratic, and socialist state. This video is a class project on the cuban healthcare system. The cuban health care system and child health outcomes. By focusing on primary care and health promotion, the cuban health care model strives to identify and produce solutions to health problems at the community level.
During her recent visit to havana in july of 2014, margaret chan, directorgeneral of the world health organization who, impressed by the countrys achievements in this field, praised the cuban health care system. Cuba primary health care in action world health organization. Although cuba has limited economic resources, its health care system has solved some problems that the u. A well trained and well managed workforce is crucial for facilitating access to good quality health services. Cuban health system have been attained with a disregard for various human rights related to health, including free speech, respect for patient dignity, and the right to receive a full salary.
Cuba myths and facts washington office on latin america. Describe cuba s primary health care model and its main experiences 4. Given cubas experience, the article suggests that the cuban community healthcare. N on the recent ceres tour of cuba i took the opportunity wherever i could to find out more about the. The overall performance of the cuban health system, measured by progress in health conditions, has been overrated.
Describe cubas primary health care model and its main experiences 4. Contemplating economic development without considering the health and education of children is shortsighted. The second healthcare system is for cuban elites the party, the military, official artists and writers, and so on. For the past 50 years, cuba has developed an exclusively public and integrated national health system providing adequate and accessible health services feinsilver 1993. Full text full text is available as a scanned copy of the original print version. Characterize primary health care phc as the base of a health care system 2. Kennedy once stated, children are the worlds most valuable resource and its best hope for the future. With such a high demand for personnel, some suspect that the cuban government has been reducing educational requirements to hasten students entry into the work force. Medicc, cnns vital signs, and the daily beast were sources used and incorporated into this pro. Cubas national health system since the 1959 revolution. The cuban health care system and factors currently. Cuban health system which has interested me for some time.
The cuban constitutions protection of health cuba enacted the constitution of the republic of cuba, its first postrevolutionary constitution, in 1976. Although many of the cuban health indicators are among the best. The cuban government operates a national health system and assumes fiscal and administrative responsibility for the health care of all its citizens. Introduction during the early years of the revolutionary period in cuba, the integral polyclinic was created. Health workforce development in the cuban health system. World health organization ranking of health systems in. Identify the reasons behind the renewal of the primary health care. Indeed, the 2000 results have proved so controversial that the who declined to rank countries in their world health reports since 2000, but the debate still rages on. I am writing to protest the egregious misrepresentation of the cuban health care system presented by p. Community healthcare services in cuba cuba s contribution to the world. Cuban social policy issues program spring 2014 final paper. The future of the current cuban health care system is intertwined with the potentials for its socialist development.
As i understand it one of cubas major exports is doctors. How does a poor undeveloped nation have one of the best medical systems in the world when 1st world nations are having great difficulty funding medical care for their citizens. The economy contracted some 40%, and there was simply less money to spend on a health care system, or on anything else. A literature search, reading, and discussions with individuals and organisations with an interest in cuban. This article assesses cuban healthcare, not just for cubans but also for those who receive the care of cuban health professionals working worldwide.
Home decorating style 2020 for cuban healthcare system pdf, you can see cuban healthcare system pdf and more pictures for home interior designing 2020 817 at manuals library. Chapter 5 the future of health in cuba traci potterf while the term cuban health care conjures visions of a staterun health delivery infrastructure, the struggle for health and wellbeing in cuba extends beyond both biomedicine and government planning. Perspectives from cubas national health system radcliffe publishing. Identify the components of primary health care and their application models 3. The complex lived reality of cuban health seeking may only be understood in the context. Health system in cuba designed by ezeddin oun soula najib mohamed ibrahim elmasauri tareq omar eljahouni istanbul medipol university 2. Dr rebeca mendoza, the director of a polyclinic in havana, cuba. Cubas accomplishments in infant health have been used to praise the health system created by the revolution and are still presented as one of the best. Community based polyclinics are the centre piece of cubas primary health care system. Preventive and curative quality care in an equitable societal context eisen 1996.
After two years of clinical work in a cuban hospital being back in a classroom learning public health theory is somewhere between mind numbing and infuriating. Communitybased polyclinics are the centre piece of cubas primary health care system. An american who trained to be a doctor in cuba gives his views of the islands health service. A number of studies describe and analyze the cuban health system at a structural level1 5. The cuban public health system focuses research on. In the mid1990s, the ministry of public health minsap, the. The fundamentals of how a government system provides for its citizens rests on the morals and ideologies that underlie the system itself. According to primary health care in cuba, the other revolution, the development of the cuban healthcare system is based on three central assumptions. Pdf overview of the cuban health system julie m feinsilver. The cuban national health system is the only health system operating in the country. The state guarantees this right article 49 of the cuban constitution1 stage one. Substantially changing the us health system at a structural level is a slow process at best and is virtually impossible for most family physicians.
Dugas and van dormael 2003 has led to remarkable health outcomes. For example, in exchange for sending 3,500 health care workers to work in and provide training in venezuela, a close cuban ally, venezuela sends oil. In over a decade of discussion and controversy over the who ranking of 2000, there is still no consensus about how an objective world health system ranking should be compiled. This highly structured, preventionoriented system has produced impressive, positive results. Identify the components of primary health care and their application models. The cuban health care system has been weakened in the last seven years, as the end of soviet bloc aid and preferential trade terms damaged the economy overall.
Enthusiasm around the cuban health system often stems from an exclusive attention to one indicator, infant mortality rate imr, the value of which has been manipulated by a state seeking political legitimacy. How does cuba manage to achieve firstworld health statistics. Health system differences between cuba and the united states likely account for much of cubas ability to do more with less. This article describes the development of the cuban health system over more than four decades and analyzes its dynamics. Everyone has a family physician, everything is fre. Inside the system, the challenges are disparity between different income groups and inequity in health education and employment. Some of our lack of knowledge about the cuban experience may be because the us. This brief article examines the development of the health workforce and the systems that support them in cuba. While the health care system is still consistently supported by public policy and its structure is sound, economic crisis undermines its material and moral foundations and threatens its achievements.
Cubas surprisingly costeffective healthcare forbes. Perspectives from cuba s national health system 271 approach before the trip was embarked on, the cuban ministry of health was contacted to inform them of the purpose of the visit and to arrange interviews with key people. One for foreigners who can pay with hard currency, one for cuban elites government officials, celebrities, etc. Julie feinsilver in community health care in cuba edited by susan e.
A primary selling point of socialism is that everyone is treated equally regardless of class or ability to pay. There are no private hospitals or clinics as all health services are governmentrun. In the soviet union, these people were called the nomenklatura. There, they interviewed not only health professionals, but parents too, to ascertain awareness about vaccination. Prerevolution health care was marketled3 huge inequities in resource allocation existed60% of all doctors were located in the capital city of havana1 at the advent of the revolution 1959, half. It is unlikely that the united states will adopt socialized health care any time soon, but some of the cuban systems distinguishing features might still provide useful lessons. Cubas health care system is based on preventive medicine and the results achieved are outstanding. Like many others, i do not think the cuban system is decadent. Enthusiasm around the cuban health system often stems from an. Primary health care in cuba consortium of universities. The national health system a health system is all those organizations, institutions and resources whose prime goal is the improvement of human health, so it embraces all activities that have the aim of promoting, restoring or maintaining health 12. Overview of evolving changes in cubas health services.
Health system in cuba pan american journal of public health. An admirable accomplishment with lurking questions john f. Multispecialty polyclinics were established across cuba in the 1970s, before the 1978 declaration of almaata, and these were transformed with the addition of the family doctorandnurse programme in the mid1980s, enhancing the health system s ability to deliver on prevention and community health analysis, as well as clinical services. Everyone has the right to the care and protection of their health. The most serious flaw in the policy forum is its unquestioning faith in the legitimacy of cuban government health data. All articles are available also in english through the individual dois below. Outside the system, the challenges include domestic economic difficulties and the u. According to margaret chan, the world should follow the example of the island in this arena and replace the curative model, inefficient and more expensive, with a preventionbased system. Cuba is the only country that has a health care system closely linked to. From a politicaladministrative standpoint, the country is divided into 14 provinces. The present minister for public health is roberto morales ojeda like the rest of the cuban economy, cuban medical care suffered following the end of soviet. Cuba health system universal free accessible everyone has the right to health protection and care.
Is the cuban healthcare system really as great as people. Health is a social issue, as well as a biological one. The who country health profile of cuba provides key statistics and links to health topical databases, plus news, features and bulletin journal articles on the health issues of the country. Get a printable copy pdf file of the complete article 321k, or click on a page image below to browse page by page. Cubas health system is strongly focused on prevention. Is the cuban healthcare system really as great as people claim. It was defined as the basic unit of the national health system, which included all health activities within.