Cuba: Solidarity, Ebola and COVID-19

Abstract

Cuba is a small middle-income Caribbean country with excellent public services, notably in education and health. Both health and education are free and universal for all inhabitants. Free education has resulted in Cuba having one of the highest number of medical doctors per head of population (84.8 per 10 000).1 Despite having a large number of doctors, Cuba is training over 60 000 medical students, with 8–10 000 students anticipating graduating each year.1 This includes the 8000 overseas students training at the Latin American School of Medicine.1 Universal healthcare and an excellent primary healthcare system have ensured that health indices are excellent in Cuba, comparable with high-income countries.2 For example, child mortality is lower in Cuba than in the USA.2 It is also lower than in all other countries in Latin America and the Caribbean.2

The Cuban healthcare system has trained thousands of foreign doctors, offered free services and responded to health crises around the globe, as during the Ebola epidemic or the current COVID-19 pandemic. This editorial describes the Cuban approach to providing healthcare assistance to people in other countries, using the examples of Ebola and COVID-19. Both Ebola and COVID-19 have affected adults more than children. The impact of both Ebola and COVID-19 on health services, however, has significantly affected children. This has been documented for COVID-19, where the disease has affected high-income countries. Children have experienced social isolation, loss of education and play, and vulnerable children are the ones most likely to have long-term problems.3

Cubans have always understood the value of solidarity. The USA has imposed an economic blockade on Cuba. In a world of huge inequalities, Cuba has been the victim of the economic blockade by the USA for almost 60 years, with the supposed objective of generating more …