Universal Health in Cuba: Healthy Public Policy in All Sectors.

Health is a universal human right, which should be safeguarded by government responsibility and included in all social policies. Only as such it is possible to ensure effective responses to the health needs of an entire population. The Cuban Constitution recognizes the right to health, and the country's single, free, uni-versal public health system and high-level political commitment promote intersectorality as a strategy to address health problems. Intersectorality is refiected in national regulations that encourage participation by all social sectors in health promotion/disease prevention/treatment/rehabilitation policies and programs. The strategy has increased the response capacity of Cuba's health system to face challenges in the national and international so-cioeconomic context and has helped improve the country's main health indicators. New challenges (sociocultural, economic and environmental), due to their effects on the population's health, well-being and quality of life, now require improved intersectoral coordination in the primary health care framework to sustain achievements made thus far. KEYWORDS Universal coverage, public health, health policy, social planning, intersectoral collaboration, Cuba.

[Transformations in the health system in Cuba and current strategies for its consolidation and sustainabilityTransformações no sistema de saúde em Cuba e estratégias atuais para sua consolidação e sustentabilidade]. / Transformaciones en el sistema de salud en Cuba y estrategias actuales para su consolidación y sostenibilidad.

In Cuba, universal access and health coverage rest on three key principles: health as a human right, equity and solidarity. Although many of the Cuban health indicators are among the best in the Region of the Americas, in 2011 it was decided to reorganize health services, in line with the process of updating the Cuban economic and social model that occurred in all sectors. For this purpose, an action-research project was designed, including a situation diagnosis, implementation of changes and evaluation of the results, in several stages. As a result, human resources were rationalized with a reduction of more than 150 000 posts not directly linked to patient care, management structures were reduced in 57 municipalities, 46 polyclinics were compacted, the Family Physician and Nurse Program was optimized with 20 specialties for the community care, teaching was reorganized, and the international medical cooperation programs were revisited. These changes have contributed to improving the sustaina-bility of the National Health System and its performance: increase in the number of consultations at the primary level (19.3%) and oral care visits (56.6%), reduction in the number of visits to emergency rooms (16.1%), increase in the number of patients surgically treated (12.1%), increase in the number of research projects (300%) and increase in the number of medical students (55.7%), among others. In Cuba, transformations in health is an ongoing project.

Em Cuba, o acesso universal e a cobertura de saúde dependem de três princípios fundamentais: a saúde como direito humano, equidade e solidariedade. Embora muitos dos indicadores de saúde cubanos estejam entre os melhores da Região das Americas, em 2011 foi decidido reorganizar os serviços de saúde, de acordo com o processo de atualização do modelo econômico e social cubano ocorrido em todos os setores do país. Para o efeito, foi elaborado um projeto de pesquisa-ação, que incluiu o diagnóstico da situação, a implementação das mudanças e a avaliação dos resultados, em várias etapas. Como resultado, os recursos humanos foram racionalizados com uma redução de mais de 150 000 postos não diretamente ligados ao atendimento ao paciente, as estruturas de manejo foram reduzidas em 57 municípios, 46 policlínicas foram compactadas, o Programa Médico e Enfermeiro da Familia foi otimizado com a projeção para a comunidade de 20 especialidades, o ensino foi reorganizado, e os programas internacionais de cooperação médica foram reordenados. Essas mudanças contribuíram para melhorar a sustentabilidade do Sistema Nacional de Saúde e seu desempenho: aumento do número de consultas no nível primário (19,3%) e odontologia (56,6%), redução do número de consultas na emergência (16,1%), aumento do número de pacientes tratados cirurgicamente (12,1%), aumento do número de projetos de pesquisa (300%) e crescimento do número de estudantes de medicina (55,7%), entre outros. O projeto de transformação em saúde realizado em Cuba continua.

Transformaciones en el sistema de salud en Cuba y estrategias actuales para su consolidación y sostenibilidad / Transformations in the health system in Cuba and current strategies for its consolidation and sustainability / Transformações no sistema de saúde em Cuba e estratégias atuais para sua consolidação e sustentabilidade

RESUMEN En Cuba, el acceso y la cobertura universales de salud descansan sobre tres principios clave: la salud como derecho humano, la equidad y la solidaridad. Aunque muchos de los indicadores de salud cubanos están entre los mejores de la Región de las Américas, en el 2011 se decidió reorganizar los servicios de salud, a tono con el proceso de actualización del modelo económico y social cubano que transcurría en todos los sectores del país. Para ello, se diseñó un proyecto de investigación-acción que abarcó el diagnóstico de la situación, la implementación de los cambios y la evaluación de los resultados, en varias etapas. Como resultado, se racionalizaron los recursos humanos con una reducción de más de 150 000 plazas no vinculadas directamente a la atención del paciente, se aligeraron las estructuras de dirección en 57 municipios, se compactaron 46 policlínicos, se optimizó el Programa del Médico y la Enfermera de la Familia con la proyección comunitaria de 20 especialidades, se reorganizó la docencia y se reordenaron los programas de cooperación médica internacional. Estos cambios han contribuido a mejorar la sostenibilidad del Sistema Nacional de Salud y su desempeño: aumento en el número de consultas en el nivel primario (19,3%) y estomatológicas (56,6%), reducción del número de consultas en cuerpo de guardia (16,1%), aumento del número de pacientes intervenidos quirúrgicamente (12,1%), incremento del número de proyectos de investigación (300%) y crecimiento en el número de estudiantes de Medicina (55,7%), entre otros. El proyecto de transformaciones en la salud emprendido en Cuba continúa.

ABSTRACT In Cuba, universal access and health coverage rest on three key principles: health as a human right, equity and solidarity. Although many of the Cuban health indicators are among the best in the Region of the Americas, in 2011 it was decided to reorganize health services, in line with the process of updating the Cuban economic and social model that occurred in all sectors. For this purpose, an action-research project was designed, including a situation diagnosis, implementation of changes and evaluation of the results, in several stages. As a result, human resources were rationalized with a reduction of more than 150 000 posts not directly linked to patient care, management structures were reduced in 57 municipalities, 46 polyclinics were compacted, the Family Physician and Nurse Program was optimized with 20 specialties for the community care, teaching was reorganized, and the international medical cooperation programs were revisited. These changes have contributed to improving the sustaina-bility of the National Health System and its performance: increase in the number of consultations at the primary level (19.3%) and oral care visits (56.6%), reduction in the number of visits to emergency rooms (16.1%), increase in the number of patients surgically treated (12.1%), increase in the number of research projects (300%) and increase in the number of medical students (55.7%), among others. In Cuba, transformations in health is an ongoing project.

RESUMO Em Cuba, o acesso universal e a cobertura de saúde dependem de três princípios fundamentais: a saúde como direito humano, equidade e solidariedade. Embora muitos dos indicadores de saúde cubanos estejam entre os melhores da Região das Americas, em 2011 foi decidido reorganizar os serviços de saúde, de acordo com o processo de atualização do modelo econômico e social cubano ocorrido em todos os setores do país. Para o efeito, foi elaborado um projeto de pesquisa-ação, que incluiu o diagnóstico da situação, a implementação das mudanças e a avaliação dos resultados, em várias etapas. Como resultado, os recursos humanos foram racionalizados com uma redução de mais de 150 000 postos não diretamente ligados ao atendimento ao paciente, as estruturas de manejo foram reduzidas em 57 municípios, 46 policlínicas foram compactadas, o Programa Médico e Enfermeiro da Familia foi otimizado com a projeção para a comunidade de 20 especialidades, o ensino foi reorganizado, e os programas internacionais de cooperação médica foram reordenados. Essas mudanças contribuíram para melhorar a sustentabilidade do Sistema Nacional de Saúde e seu desempenho: aumento do número de consultas no nível primário (19,3%) e odontologia (56,6%), redução do número de consultas na emergência (16,1%), aumento do número de pacientes tratados cirurgicamente (12,1%), aumento do número de projetos de pesquisa (300%) e crescimento do número de estudantes de medicina (55,7%), entre outros. O projeto de transformação em saúde realizado em Cuba continua.

Social determinants of health, universal health coverage, and sustainable development: case studies from Latin American countries.

Many intrinsically related determinants of health and disease exist, including social and economic status, education, employment, housing, and physical and environmental exposures. These factors interact to cumulatively affect health and disease burden of individuals and populations, and to establish health inequities and disparities across and within countries. Biomedical models of health care decrease adverse consequences of disease, but are not enough to effectively improve individual and population health and advance health equity. Social determinants of health are especially important in Latin American countries, which are characterised by adverse colonial legacies, tremendous social injustice, huge socioeconomic disparities, and wide health inequities. Poverty and inequality worsened substantially in the 1980s, 1990s, and early 2000s in these countries. Many Latin American countries have introduced public policies that integrate health, social, and economic actions, and have sought to develop health systems that incorporate multisectoral interventions when introducing universal health coverage to improve health and its upstream determinants. We present case studies from four Latin American countries to show the design and implementation of health programmes underpinned by intersectoral action and social participation that have reached national scale to effectively address social determinants of health, improve health outcomes, and reduce health inequities. Investment in managerial and political capacity, strong political and managerial commitment, and state programmes, not just time-limited government actions, have been crucial in underpinning the success of these policies.

Health-system reform and universal health coverage in Latin America.

Starting in the late 1980s, many Latin American countries began social sector reforms to alleviate poverty, reduce socioeconomic inequalities, improve health outcomes, and provide financial risk protection. In particular, starting in the 1990s, reforms aimed at strengthening health systems to reduce inequalities in health access and outcomes focused on expansion of universal health coverage, especially for poor citizens. In Latin America, health-system reforms have produced a distinct approach to universal health coverage, underpinned by the principles of equity, solidarity, and collective action to overcome social inequalities. In most of the countries studied, government financing enabled the introduction of supply-side interventions to expand insurance coverage for uninsured citizens--with defined and enlarged benefits packages--and to scale up delivery of health services. Countries such as Brazil and Cuba introduced tax-financed universal health systems. These changes were combined with demand-side interventions aimed at alleviating poverty (targeting many social determinants of health) and improving access of the most disadvantaged populations. Hence, the distinguishing features of health-system strengthening for universal health coverage and lessons from the Latin American experience are relevant for countries advancing universal health coverage.