Reply #17: Cuba's medical success story

[Say_What]

Cuba's medical and healthcare achievments are well known throughout the world, except of course in the USSA.

From a 2001 BBC article:

<clips>

As speculation continues over the health of 75-year-old Cuban President Fidel Castro, one thing is certain - he does not have to worry about the medical attention available to him in his own country.

This year's crop of Cuba's leading medical students have just received their certificates from Castro at a ceremony in Havana.

Many Cubans see them as the cream of society, taking their skills to the remote corners of the island as well as to other developing countries such as Haiti, Honduras and Paraguay, and several African countries.

Cuba is not a rich country, but when Castro came to power in 1959 his socialist government set about building a health system that would benefit the whole society.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/americas/1535358.stm

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Before the Revolution under US supported puppet dictator Batista:

• 75% of rural dwellings were huts made from palm trees.

• More than 50% had no toilets of any kind.

• 85% had no inside running water.

• 91% had no electricity.

• There was only 1 doctor per 2,000 people in rural areas.

• More than one-third of the rural population had intestinal parasites.

• Only 4% of Cuban peasants ate meat regularly; only 1% ate fish, less than 2% eggs, 3% bread, 11% milk; none ate green vegetables.

• The average annual income among peasants was $91 (1956), less than 1/3 of the national income per person.

• 45% of the rural population was illiterate; 44% had never attended a school.

http://www.thegully.com/essays/cuba/000305cubastats59.html