Universal Health in Cuba: Healthy Public Policy in All Sectors

Health is a universal human right, which should be safeguarded by government responsibility and included in all social policies. Only as such it is possible to ensure effective responses to the health needs of an entire population. The Cuban Constitution recognizes the right to health, and the country's single, free, uni-versal public health system and high-level political commitment promote intersectorality as a strategy to address health problems. Intersectorality is refiected in national regulations that encourage participation by all social sectors in health promotion/disease prevention/treatment/rehabilitation policies and programs. The strategy has increased the response capacity of Cuba's health system to face challenges in the national and international so-cioeconomic context and has helped improve the country's main health indicators. New challenges (sociocultural, economic and environmental), due to their effects on the population's health, well-being and quality of life, now require improved intersectoral coordination in the primary health care framework to sustain achievements made thus far. KEYWORDS Universal coverage, public health, health policy, social planning, intersectoral collaboration, Cuba.