Why Do Cuban Citizens Have Better Health-care Than We In The U.S.?

Cuba's health care system is an international success story, despite the U.S. embargo. Almost 50 million people in the United States lack adequate health care coverage. How is it possible that Cuba, an island nation of limited resources, can provide health care to all of its citizens?

The U.S. government has refused to allow exports of medicine and medical supplies to Cuba because "it would be detrimental to U.S. foreign policy interests." This policy is designed to systematically strip Cuba of essential resources.

Since most major new drugs are developed by U.S. owned pharmaceutical companies, the U.S. can and does block export to Cuba of more than 50 percent of new medicines available on the world market. Despite this form of oppression, Cuba has galvanized its efforts to remain self-sufficient, and no hospitals have closed. The island nation is known the world over for its advances in medical research.

Among other feats, Cuba has developed a Meningitis B vaccine, a less expensive interferon as well as AIDS and cancer vaccines. Cuba has the highest rate of public health services in Latin America and one of the highest physician to population ratios in the world.

If the United States changed its social and economic policies and priorities its citizens and those of other countries would benefit greatly.

“OF ALL THE FORMS OF INEQUALITY, INJUSTICE IN HEALTH CARE IS THE MOST SHOCKING AND INHUMANE.” – Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.