SCOTTISH MEDICAL AID FOR CUBA

About Us

Scottish Medical Aid for Cuba

The Scottish Medical Aid for Cuba Committee was set up in 1995 to help Cuba protect its medical services from the economic crisis affecting this small country.

The quality and scope of post-1959 health care provision for the Cuban people has been internationally recognized. Infant mortality was cut and life expectancy increased to match or better the levels of advanced industrial countries. Cuba educated not only its own medical practitioners but many from the poor Third World countries.

Since the 1980's, Cuba itself sent more doctors to serve in Africa, Asia and Latin America than the World Health Organisation.The island's medical research breakthroughs, e.g. in anti meningitis vaccine, benefited not only it's own people but those of many other countries.

These achievements are now threatened. With the collapse of Cuba's trade with the East European and ex-Soviet countries, Cuba's imports fell by almost 80 per cent between 1989 and 1994 - a collapse reminiscent of the 1930's Great Depression. At the same time the US Government tightened its trade embargo, aggravating Cuba's difficulties by increasing import costs and blocking promising new trading ventures.

As a small island with limited resources, Cuba's economy depends heavily upon imported goods and raw materials. These include key items for the manufacture of pharmaceutical supplies and medical equipment as well as finished medical products, and the repercussions of sharp import cuts on the provision of effective healthcare have thus been severe.

Scottish Medical Aid is twinned with the Escambray region of south-central Cuba.Please click HERE for further information