Equity and the Cuban National Health System's response to COVID-19

Abstract

Cuba’s National Health System has managed to guarantee an effective and equitable response to COVID-19. Universal and free health coverage, based on primary care, follows the principle of equity and the greatest resources are allocated to areas of the lowest socioeconomic stratum (where higher risk is concentrated), followed by those of medium and high strata, in that order. This allowed for similar mortality rates in the three strata, and Cuban national mortality rate was one of the lowest in the Region of the Americas. Before the first case was identified in Cuba, a Plan for Coronavirus Prevention and Control was elaborated with multisectoral participation, and when the first case was confirmed the Temporary National Working Group to Fight COVID-19 was created as an advisory body of the government. The actions to face the pandemic began with preventive measures in the community, continued in the isolation centers and ended again in the community with actions of surveillance and follow up of recovered patients. Following the principle of territoriality, molecular diagnosis laboratories were created in the provinces that did not have one. Free medical care and treatment; the preparation of a single national intersectoral government plan; the use of particular strategies for research, diagnosis and case tracing; and the implementation of a universal protocol for disease prevention and treatment of confirmed cases made it possible to control the disease with a health equity perspective.

Cuban Abdala vaccine: Effectiveness in preventing severe disease and death from COVID-19 in Havana, Cuba; A cohort study

“…All three were minimized by performing confirmatory qRT-PCR tests on everyone with COVID-19 symptoms, as well as on their contacts, a practice established in the Cuban National COVID-19 Action Protocol (Version 1.6) 18 and backed by the characteristics of the Cuban health system described previously. 16 …”

“…During the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic, this allowed active daily screening for symptomatic cases and notification, as well as admission and care of all newly diagnosed cases. 16 …”

Clinical Phenotypes and Mortality Biomarkers: A Study Focused on COVID-19 Patients with Neurological Diseases in Intensive Care Units

“…It is worth mentioning that the Cuban health care system provides the elderly population with a broad range of health services. It also stresses prevention and control of chronic diseases from primary healthcare, which is crucial to mitigate the impact of severe COVID-19 and fatality on this age group [ 33 ].…”

Covid-19 Sağlik Kri̇zi̇ni̇n Ülkeleri̇n Sağlik Si̇stemleri̇ Üzeri̇ne Etki̇si̇; Küresel Sağlik Si̇stemleri̇ Boyutuyla Bi̇r Değerlendi̇rme

“…Amerika Birleşik Devletleri'nde (ABD) koronavirüs salgınında uygulanan çeşitli stratejilerde hükümete güvenin artmasında halk sağlığı önlemlerinin rolü olduğu bildirilmiştir (3). Küba'da, COVID-19 yönetiminde güçlü Ulusal Sağlık Sistemi ve koruyucu sağlık hizmetlerinin etkili ve adil uygulanması sayesinde önemli başarılar elde edildiği ve bu sayede düşük sosyo-ekonomik gruplara daha fazla kaynak tahsis edildiği bildirilmiştir (4). Salgın sürecinde güçlü sağlık sistemine sahip zengin ülkelerin de salgına yanıt vermede çaresiz kaldıkları, sağlık sistemleri zayıf olan ülkelerin ise sağlık krizlerini aşmada dış yardıma ve desteğe ihtiyaç duyduğu bildirilmiştir.…”