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Transition on the health branch began in 1959 Carmen R. Alfonso For a naïve person, it would seem the writers of such an infamous text are still living in the fifty decade, ignoring the results reached by the vital revolutionary process. Just to quote an example of these false and provocative statements was the promise of vaccinating children under five years, when Cuba has internationally been proclaimed as one of the nations with its whole populated vaccinated against thirteen illnesses. Health as in many other things, our transition began since 1959 Why do we say we are a healthy people? If we take the 50 decade as a reference, Cuba, with five millions of inhabitants had a 60 years life expectancy and a children’s death rate of more than 60 per one thousand live. Infectious diseases were main cause of death and scarce medical services were most of them located in main cities. Cuba counts today with eleven million 230 thousand inhabitants, with a life expectancy of 76,15 years and a death rate of 6,3 per one thousand live. The following diseases were avoided from the island’s scenario: Poliomyelitis (1989), Meningitis (1989) Measles (1993) and Mumps (1995). These last two showed up in the country in 1998 but no other case have been reported since then. Meningitis type B have been reduced in a 93% due to mass vaccinations, meanwhile tetanus and whooping cough are not a health problem. Fifteen per cent of Cubans are 60 years or more, according to the National Statistic Office, and life expectancy is to be increased until 80 years. Year 2003 has seen a new initiative come true: “The 120 Years’ Club”. What is the explanation for such a healthy population? Health is linked to the environment and life conditions. Counting with fresh water, an adequate scenario and granted foods offer certain guarantees for human beings’ normal development. Cuba supplies fresh water to the 95 % of its population after the construction of more than 2 thousand rural aqueducts. Cuban authorities also take good care of the environment with a plan enlarging hydrographic basins, reforestation also granting the possibility of having basic food. Life conditions are also related with employment. If we once more analyze the Fifty decade, we can quote Fidel’s plea in his self defense made in 1953 called “History will Absolve Me” where he denounced people in the island were suffering unemployment half of the year, and one million were jobless, Cuba had more jobless than France and Italy all together with a population of more than 40 millions. Our country exhibits other job indexes, the unemployment rate is under 2, 5% of the working population, in spite of Bush’s gross measures. What can Cuban tell with respect to specialized health services? The number of units of health service for the year 2003 was as follows: 267 hospitals, 165 dentist offices, 276 mother-child houses, 141 old people’s residences, 177 grand parents’ residences, 34 facilities for disable people, 13 research institutes and 27 banks. If hospitals were mostly located in Havana in 1958, today the experience is the other way around, Havana City owes 39% and the rest of provinces 61%, so we can say true social justice is really prevailing in the island. Prior attention given to the people is not only observed in the number of hospital deployed throughout the country but also in kits bought for them. And most important thing is this health service is free of charge. Moreover, Cuba shares outstanding figures within the health branch: 68 thousand doctors, 9 thousand 816 dentists, that is to say there is one doctor per each 165 inhabitants and one dentist per one thousand 107 citizens. If we take into account there was only some six thousand doctors when the revolution triumphed, mostly residing in Havana, from them, some three thousand left their homeland as a result of the enemies’ move against the island. Which are the main death causes in Cuba? Let’s us recall a little bit. The 50 decade that is the one we are using as a reference, had some diseases causing outstanding sufferings to the infant population, for example: poliomyelitis caused disabilities or death to some three hundred people, malaria affected three thousand and diphtheria attacked an average rate of 600 kids, without forgetting gastroenteritis that was the under developed countries’ evil. Year 2003 experienced quite a different scenario for death causes: Heart sufferings, tumors, brain affections, influenza, pneumonia and accidents. With respect to AIDS, which so much pain and death is causing in the world, though no yet considered a health problem, it is among prior programs here. All HIV carriers have access to most modern treatments. The number of AIDS’ cases is very low compared with the island’ population, the illness’ prevalence is 0, 07 % in the population between 15 and 49 years. The whole figure of the epidemic since its very beginning (1980) until year 2003 is something higher that 5 thousand 200 HIV carriers, some 2 thousand 300 ill people and some one thousand 100 hundred deceases. Perspectives? President Fidel Castro announced last May; the country will undoubtedly have the best of health services at a world scale. Cuba will be able to graduate dozens of thousands doctors. Clinics’ refurbishment gifted with new services is to be finished for the end of the year in Havana. This kind of attention is a basic link of health attention in the country. And as part of the country’s international collaboration, there are 17 thousand doctors, dentists and technicians lending their services to other peoples of Africa and Latin America. They save hundreds of lives and grant health cover to dozens of millions of human beings. Then? Dreams of wanting to speed up transition in Cuba to turn the island into a Yankee neo colony will fail right away. We are for sure a healthy and courageous people |
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