"Enticing case study" or "celebrated anomaly"? Policy learning from the Cuban health system.

Cuba is regarded as having achieved very good health outcomes for its level of economic development. It has adopted policies and programs that focus on prevention, universal access to healthcare, a strong primary care system, the integration of health in all policies, and public participation in health. It has also established a strong and accessible system of medical education and provides substantial medical aid and support to other countries. Why then, it may be asked, has the Cuban experience not had greater influence on health policies and reforms elsewhere? This article, based on a literature review and new primary sources, analyzes various factors highlighted in the policy transfer literature to explain this. It also notes other factors that have created greater awareness of Cuban health achievements in some countries and which provide a basis for learning lessons from its policies.

La evaluación económica en el Sistema de Salud Cubano / Economical assessment in the Cuban health system

La Evaluación Económica representa un marco para la asignación de recursos sanitarios en un contexto de recursos limitados e incremento de la demanda. Tiene un papel clave en el proceso de toma de decisiones. Es por esta razón que el objetivo de este trabajo consiste en valorar el uso de las evaluaciones económicas en el sistema de salud cubano (AU).

The economical assessment is a frame for the assignment of economical resources in a context of limited resources and demand increase. It plays a key role in the decisionmaking process. For this reason, the aim of this work is evaluating the usage of the economical assessment in the Cuban health system (AU).

La evaluación económica en el Sistema de Salud Cubano / Economical assessment in the Cuban health system

La Evaluación Económica representa un marco para la asignación de recursos sanitarios en un contexto de recursos limitados e incremento de la demanda. Tiene un papel clave en el proceso de toma de decisiones. Es por esta razón que el objetivo de este trabajo consiste en valorar el uso de las evaluaciones económicas en el sistema de salud cubano (AU).

The economical assessment is a frame for the assignment of economical resources in a context of limited resources and demand increase. It plays a key role in the decisionmaking process. For this reason, the aim of this work is evaluating the usage of the economical assessment in the Cuban health system (AU).

The Cuban Response to the Ebola Epidemic in West Africa: Lessons in Solidarity.

In December 2013 the first case of Ebola appeared in Guinea. In September 2014 the United Nations (UN) and its specialized agency the World Health Organization (WHO) issued a call for medical collaboration in response to the medical crisis and social disaster caused by the Ebola virus epidemic in West Africa. Cuban authorities responded immediately to the call by offering specialized help for the epidemic, in collaboration with WHO. A group of 256 Cuban doctors, nurses and other health professionals provided direct care during the Ebola epidemic in Sierra Leone, Liberia and Equatorial Guinea from October 2014 to April 2015. This paper explains the main features of the Cuban health system, describes the development of Cuba's international medical cooperation approach, and highlights the work done by Cuban health collaborators in addressing the damage caused by the Ebola epidemic. Information used includes reports and documents of the Ministry of Public Health of Cuba, reports of WHO and PAHO, and articles published in scientific journals and newspaper articles. The response of the Cuban medical teams to the Ebola epidemic in West Africa is only one example of the Cuban efforts to strengthening health care provision in areas of need throughout the world.

Nivel de integración del Sistema Nacional de Salud Cubano / Integration level of the Cuban Health National System

Introducción: En el Sistema Sanitario Cubano, la salud pública y la salud individual se integran bajo los principios de universalidad, gratuidad, accesibilidad, continuidad, responsabilidad e integralidad de la atención que se brinda a individuos, familias y comunidades. Objetivo: Identificar el nivel de integración del Sistema Sanitario Cubano en distintos niveles de complejidad en la gestión y prestación de servicios. Métodos: Se tuvieron en cuenta los atributos propuestos por la Organización Panamericana de la Salud en el 2008, para conformar redes integradas de servicios de salud. Se aplicó una escala cualitativa ordinal, propuesta por la Organización Panamericana de la Salud. Se aplicó un instrumento a 58 unidades de análisis, de estas 15 en el grupo I, considerado expertos; 13 en el II (directivos de nivel municipal) y 30 en el III (directivos de nivel provincial). Se diseñó ad hoc un sistema de evaluación por índices para analizar los resultados. Resultados: Predominaron los atributos considerados integrados o parcialmente integrados. Los atributos de la integración, con mayores debilidades, fueron los relacionados con la integración del financiamiento presupuestado a las necesidades del sector y la integración de los procesos formativos del recurso humano en cantidad y calidad suficiente para las necesidades actuales, así como su comprometimiento con los servicios que prestan. El índice de integración por atributo y global, fueron similares para cada grupo, e indican una tendencia del Sistema de Salud Cubano hacia la integración. Conclusiones: El Sistema Sanitario Cubano tiende a la integración. Existen reservas de mejora en todos los atributos para la integración

Introduction: In the Cuban Health System, the public and individual health care integrated under the principles of universality, gratuitousness, accessibility, responsibility and completeness of the care offered to subjects, families and communities. Objective:To identify the integration level of Cuban Health System in different levels of complexity in the management and services provision. Methods: Authors took into account the attributes proposed by Pan American Health Organization in 2008 to create integrated networks of health services. An ordinal qualitative scale was applied, proposed by Pan American Health Organization. A kit consisting of 58 analysis units was applied, from these 15 in the group I, including experts; 13 in the group II (municipal level managers) and 30 in the group III (provincial level managers) . An ad hoc assessment system was designed by indexes to analyze the results. Results: There was predominance of attributes considered as integrated or partially integrated. Integration attributes with more weakness were those related to integration of financing budgetary to the needs of sector and the integration of formative processes of human resource in quantity and quality enough for current needs, as well as its involvement with its service provision. The integration indexes by attribute and of global type were similar for each group signaling a trend of Cuban Health System to integration. Conclusions:The Cuban Healthcare System trend to integration. There are signs of improvement in all the attributes for the integration

Nivel de integración del Sistema Nacional de Salud Cubano / Integration level of the Cuban Health National System

Introducción: En el Sistema Sanitario Cubano, la salud pública y la salud individual se integran bajo los principios de universalidad, gratuidad, accesibilidad, continuidad, responsabilidad e integralidad de la atención que se brinda a individuos, familias y comunidades. Objetivo: Identificar el nivel de integración del Sistema Sanitario Cubano en distintos niveles de complejidad en la gestión y prestación de servicios. Métodos: Se tuvieron en cuenta los atributos propuestos por la Organización Panamericana de la Salud en el 2008, para conformar redes integradas de servicios de salud. Se aplicó una escala cualitativa ordinal, propuesta por la Organización Panamericana de la Salud. Se aplicó un instrumento a 58 unidades de análisis, de estas 15 en el grupo I, considerado expertos; 13 en el II (directivos de nivel municipal) y 30 en el III (directivos de nivel provincial). Se diseñó ad hoc un sistema de evaluación por índices para analizar los resultados. Resultados: Predominaron los atributos considerados integrados o parcialmente integrados. Los atributos de la integración, con mayores debilidades, fueron los relacionados con la integración del financiamiento presupuestado a las necesidades del sector y la integración de los procesos formativos del recurso humano en cantidad y calidad suficiente para las necesidades actuales, así como su comprometimiento con los servicios que prestan. El índice de integración por atributo y global, fueron similares para cada grupo, e indican una tendencia del Sistema de Salud Cubano hacia la integración. Conclusiones: El Sistema Sanitario Cubano tiende a la integración. Existen reservas de mejora en todos los atributos para la integración(AU)

Introduction: In the Cuban Health System, the public and individual health care integrated under the principles of universality, gratuitousness, accessibility, responsibility and completeness of the care offered to subjects, families and communities. Objective:To identify the integration level of Cuban Health System in different levels of complexity in the management and services provision. Methods: Authors took into account the attributes proposed by Pan American Health Organization in 2008 to create integrated networks of health services. An ordinal qualitative scale was applied, proposed by Pan American Health Organization. A kit consisting of 58 analysis units was applied, from these 15 in the group I, including experts; 13 in the group II (municipal level managers) and 30 in the group III (provincial level managers) . An ad hoc assessment system was designed by indexes to analyze the results. Results: There was predominance of attributes considered as integrated or partially integrated. Integration attributes with more weakness were those related to integration of financing budgetary to the needs of sector and the integration of formative processes of human resource in quantity and quality enough for current needs, as well as its involvement with its service provision. The integration indexes by attribute and of global type were similar for each group signaling a trend of Cuban Health System to integration. Conclusions:The Cuban Healthcare System trend to integration. There are signs of improvement in all the attributes for the integration(AU)