Fidel Castro and the Cuban Healthcare System

Abstract

Introduction: The Cuban healthcare system represents the practical realization of Fidel Castro’s humanistic and revolutionary thought, serving as a global paradigm for public health based on the principles of universal access, free-of-charge services, and international solidarity. Since 1959, its development has radically transformed a fragmented and commodified system into a comprehensive model that prioritizes prevention and primary care.

Objective: To examine the influence of Fidel Castro on the Cuban healthcare system as a viable paradigm for universal health.

Methods: An analytical-interpretive documentary review of 20 bibliographic sources, produced between 1953 and 2024, was conducted using complex search strategies across Google Scholar, SciELO, and PubMed. Theoretical research methods, including historical-logical analysis, document analysis, and systematization, were employed to examine the historical evolution of the subject under study, specifically regarding Fidel Castro’s impact on the Cuban healthcare system as a viable model for universal health.

Findings: The research demonstrates that this model, which is grounded in the guiding principle that “the health of the people is the supreme law”, succeeded in reducing infant mortality by 93% (from 60 to 4 per 1,000 live births between 1959 and 2024), increasing life expectancy to 78 years, and fostering the development of domestic biotechnological capabilities. Through medical internationalism, the model has been projected globally via health missions in 165 countries and the training of 50,000 healthcare professionals for the world.

Conclusions: The Cuban healthcare system demonstrates the viability of conceiving health as a fundamental human right rather than a commodity. It stands as an enduring legacy of Fidel Castro’s philosophy, which remains highly relevant within the contemporary global healthcare landscape.

Keywords: Fidel Castro; Cuban healthcare system; public health.