An economic contraction occurred in Cuba at the beginning of the 1990s, of a magnitude greater than in any developed country in the last half century. This resulted primarily from the disappearance of the European socialist bloc and simultaneous tightening of the U.S. government's blockade at a time when Cuba was engaged in correcting its main economic problems. The economic crisis affected a number of areas of Cuban society. The state adopted a series of measures to cope with the socioeconomic situation, which have yielded positive results in the social and economic fields, as well as some undesirable results. In the health sector, the economic crisis has mainly reduced the availability of resources and has adversely affected some health determinants and some aspects of the population's health status. Despite the prevailing economic difficulties, the government is determined to preserve the country's achievements in health, and to develop them still further. The solution is not privatization or the introduction of health insurance systems or similar measures. Rather, Cuba will seek greater rationality and economic efficiency in the health sector. It has ratified the principles that the state should continue to finance the health system and maintain universal coverage and accessibility through free services.
where he was conferred the degree of Professor Emeritus in 2001. He was also awarded the tile of Doctor Honoris Causa from different institutions, including the Université de Montréal, the Universidade de Brasília, and the Fundação Oswaldo Cruz. He was honored by the Presidency of the Italian Republic as Cavaliere di Gran Croce Ordine al Merito della Repubblica Italiana, and with the Medaglia ai benemeriti della scienza e della cultura. Between 1972 and 1983, he was elected member of the Chamber of Deputies on several occasions and, in 1983, senator of the Italian Republic. In 2004, he became a member of the European Parliament. He was also a member of the Commission on Social Determinants of Health created by the World Health Organization, and of the International Bioethics Committee of UNESCO.
RESUMENEl arribo al cincuentenario del triunfo del movimiento armado que derribó a la tiranía del último gobierno burgués en Cuba y dio paso a la construcción del socialismo, es un momento oportuno para un recuento de cuanto se ha avanzado en materia de salud pública. En este artículo se enumeran y destacan los resultados más relevantes alcanzados, así como su ubicación en el contexto apropiado. No todo puede ser objeto de atención en un documento que se ha preparado para este número de la revista en que habrá otros que se refieren a un asunto concreto de lo ocurrido. El trabajo incluye aspectos del entorno internacional en lo político y económico, una apreciación de la situación de la salud en el mundo, el inicio del trabajo en Cuba para la creación del nuevo sistema de salud y su avance en años sucesivos.Palabras clave: Salud Pública Revolucionaria Cubana, situación de salud en el mundo, Sistema Nacional de Salud.
ABSTRACTThe arrival of the 50th anniversary of the triumph of the armed revolutionary movement that overthrew the last tyrannical and bourgeois government in Cuba and gave rise to the construction of socialism is the right time to make an account of the advances in the field of public health. This article listed and underlined the
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.