A collaboration to teach US MPH students about Cuba's health care system

Abstract

In 2011, the US Department of the Treasury changed its regulations to allow US students to participate in short-term education programs in Cuba. Beginning in 2012, and each year thereafter, Cuba's National School of Public Health and the Colorado School of Public Health have jointly taught a class on the Cuban public health system. The program goals are to provide US students with an opportunity to learn about the Cuban national health system's focus on 1) prevention and primary health care services; 2) financial and geographic access to services and health equity; 3) continuum of care across the home, family doctor-and-nurse offices, polyclinics and hospitals; 4) data collection at all levels to understand health risks, including outbreaks, and to guide resource allocation; 5) assessing patients' health and risks using a comprehensive definition of health; 6) multisectoral collaborations between the Ministry of Public Health and other Cuban agencies and organizations to address population health risks; 7) disaster preparedness, response and recovery; and 8) provision of international health assistance. The class incorporates information about health systems in Latin American and other Caribbean countries to provide context for understanding the Cuban health system. The course includes: 1) seminars, online readings and discussions before travel to Cuba; 2) seminars at Cuba's National School of Public Health, visits to Cuban national health institutions at all levels, from community-based family doctor-and-nurse offices and multispecialty clinics (polyclinics) to internationally recognized national health institutions, and guided visits and activities about Cuban culture and history during their 12 days in Cuba; and 3) followup course work upon return to the USA in which students integrate what they learned into their final class reports and presentations. During time spent planning, implementing and revising the program, both institutions have learned from each other about global health teaching methodologies and have laid a foundation for future teaching and research collaborations. To date, 49 individuals have participated in the program.