Primary Health Care in Cuba The Other Revolution

Primary Health Care in Cuba examines the highly successful model of primary health care following the 1959 Cuban Revolution. This model, developed during a time of dramatic social and political change, created a preventive care system to better provide equal access to health care that has earned high praise from the World Health Organization, UNICEF, and the Pan American Health Organization. Linda M. Whiteford and Laurence G. Branch take a close look at how Cuba achieved the dramatic shift from a country with high infant mortality, little clean drinking water, and prevalent contagious diseases to now having one of the lowest infant mortality rates in the world, one of the highest immunization rates in the world, and significant decreases in yellow fever, malaria, and dengue fever. The authors explore the successes of Cuba's preventive primary health care system from a historical perspective with an eye toward the lessons that can be applied to all health care systems that seek to emphasize prevention and equal distribution of services. Book jacket.

Linda M. Whiteford is a medical anthropologist who, since 2008; has been associate vice president for Global Strategies in the office of the president and associate vice president for Academic Affairs and Strategic Initiatives in the office of the provost at the University of South Florida, where she is also a professor of anthropology. She has also served as president of the Society of Applied Anthroplogy. Laurence G. Branch is Distinguished University Professor at the University of South Florida, and professor of health policy and management in its College of Public Health. His frequent trips to Cuba include invitations from the Cuban Ministry of Health to discuss aspects of their health care system.