Cuban health politics at home and abroad

Abstract

Over the past fifty years Cuba has constructed a healthcare system lauded by international experts and the envy of developing countries -- and some developed ones. Despite considerable economic hardships, Cuba provides free universal coverage for its own population, and has developed country health indices at a dramatically lower cost. In addition, it is a global leader in providing medical aid and education to other countries through its ‘medical diplomacy’ programme of South-South collaboration. From its initial days in power, Cuba’s revolutionary government also evinced a strong ideological commitment to the duty to help other nations in an effort to repay a debt for the external support it received during the revolution. As a result, the provision of medical aid -- the basis for medical diplomacy -- to other developing countries has been a key element of Cuba’s international relations ever since the revolution, as first exemplified by the medical brigade sent to assist Chile in coping with the great earthquake of May 1960.