Humanitarianism and Solidarity Cuban-Style
Cliff DuRand
It has been widely recognized that Cuba has a remarkably effective health care system for a relatively poor Third World country. And this fact is becoming even more widely known thanks to Michael Moore’s documentary Sicko. As a result, Cuba has health indicators comparable to its far more wealthy neighbor. For example, life expectancy in Cuba is 77.5 years, in the U.S. it is 78. Cuba’s infant mortality rate is 5.3 deaths among 1000 live births in the first year, whereas in the U.S. it is 6.9 [according to 2003 figures, the last year for which data have been compiled]. In Mississippi infant mortality is 11.4 and as high as 17 among Blacks, and rising. In our nation’s capital, infant mortality is 14.4 among African Americans. In Cuba on the other hand, out of 1000 births only 5.3 infants die in the first year of life, and basically the same low rate is found in every region and sector of the population, and continues to decline year after year.
Even the World Bank has had to acknowledge Cuba’s achievements in health and education. The Bank’s 2001 edition of ‘World Development Indicators’ (WDI) showed Cuba as topping virtually all other poor countries in health and education statistics. Former Bank President James Wolfensohn congratulated Cuba for doing “a great job” in providing for the social welfare of the Cuban people.
How is this possible?…
