The Challenge for Cuba Luz Claudio Abstract
The restrictions of a U.S. trade embargo and the collapse of the Soviet Union marked the beginning of a period of extreme economic hardship in Cuba. Economic adversity has had tremendous effects, both positive and negative, on all aspects of life on the Island, including environmental and public health. With the collapse of the Soviet Union, sugar exports dropped sharply and imports of food fell by more than half. State-run farms, which were highly modernized and heavily dependent on imported fertilizers, pesticides, machinery, and fuels, were on the verge of collapsing. To help the country face this challenge, scientists began to seek the knowledge of independent farmers whose fields still produced high yields because they did not depend on mechanization or agrochemicals. These collaborations, along with use of innovative agricultural technologies such as use of biological pest controls, have revolutionized how agriculture is conducted in Cuba. The lack of fuel has also produced unforeseen benefits for the environment, such as reduced traffic and pollution, and less erosion of the land (due to a return to traditional farming techniques) . According a 1997 study conducted by the American Association for World Health, the embargo prevents Cuba from obtaining nearly half of the new drugs on the market. Malnutrition due to the shortage of food is a common problem. Against all odds, Cuba has gained and maintained health statistics that surpass the average for all Latin American countries. In the 1980s, Cuba instituted its highly effective Family Doctor Program, which emphasizes primary care and preventive medicine. Now, however, these advances in health care delivery are threatened by the deterioration of the Cuban infrastructure.
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