IBS Seminar Series: Public health in Cuba

Joan O’Connell (Colorado School of Public Health)

Title: Public health in Cuba: Health system characteristics that support health notwithstanding limited resources.

Abstract: Cuba is well known for implementing a health system that focuses on access to preventive and primary care services, including community-based interventions and using data to guide resource allocation. Even though the economic situation in Cuba significantly influences the level of available health resources, statistics provide evidence of many health system achievements. Much can be learned about the provision of public health services by studying Cuba’s health system and Cuba’s health work in other countries. This seminar will provide an overview of these topics.

Bio: Joan O’Connell is a Health Economist and Associate Professor in the Department of Community and Behavioral Health and in the Centers for American Indian and Alaska Native Health at the Colorado School of Public Health, University of Colorado. Her doctoral degree in economics and certificate in demography are from the University of Colorado. Dr. O’Connell teaches three global health classes; one addresses public health services in Cuba and in other countries in Latin America and the Caribbean. Her research focuses on economic issues related to preventing and treating chronic disease. While the majority of her research addresses the health of American Indian and Alaska Native populations, she also studies public health programs focused on oral health in the United States and in Cuba. She has published in journals that include the American Journal of Public Health, Medical Care, Health Economics, Health Affairs, Chronic Disease Prevention, Medical Decision Making, and the Journal of Public Health Dentistry. Her research has been funded by the National Institutes of Health, the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, and the Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute.