The health system in Cuba: progress and challenges, is the subject of the special supplement of the Pan American Journal of Public Health of the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO), which was presented this week at the III Cuba Salud International Convention 2018.

The publication seeks to publicize successes that are known worldwide, but little is known about how they were achieved, what policies and programs were behind them, and how health services were organized so that Cuba, a developing country, that has limited resources, achieve indicators of more advanced countries.

"Cuba's successes are the product of a health prioritization at the highest level and an admirable commitment from its authorities, Cuban health professionals and the population that is also responsible for their own health and that of their communities," said the Director of the PAHO, Carissa F. Etienne, during the presentation of the issue.

The special issue compiles twelve articles and presents three editorials, two on Cuba's progress towards universal health and one on the transformations in the Cuban health system.

Among the articles can be read about the prevention and control of noncommunicable diseases in Cuba, maternal and child care, the quality of maternal mortality statistics, the Cuban experience in immunization and the response and challenges to communicable diseases.

It also sheds light on how human resources are trained in health in Cuba, how to achieve a fiscal priority that ensures public spending on health above 10 percent of gross domestic product, how to organize the preparation and response to the attacks of climate change, and how health research develops to advance towards universal health.

Cristian Morales Furihmann, representative of the PAHO / WHO in Cuba and co-author of one of the editorials of the special supplement, thanked all those who made the publication possible and recognized "the thousands of Cuban health workers who make universal health an achievable goal. "

For his part, the vice president of the Council of State and Minister of Public Health of Cuba, Roberto Morales Ojeda, said the supplement is an opportunity "so that many of the things we do are also known by the international community," and acknowledged the "Need and willingness to continue writing and publishing to tell how we have done and thus contribute to achieve health for all."