III Congress of Family Medicine Held in Havana, Cuba
Havana, November 7, 2023 (PAHO) – The III Congress of Family Medicine took place in Havana in the first days of November under the theme: “40 years of achievements, challenges, and challenges of Family Medicine in Cuba.” The event saw the participation of over 700 national delegates, as well as attendees from Latin American countries, the United States, and Spain.
During the congress, the Minister of Public Health, Dr. José Angel Portal Miranda, highlighted the importance of the event in strengthening community health care and preventing diseases. He emphasized the significance of the congress in achieving overall well-being.
The Pan American Health Organization/World Health Organization (PAHO/WHO) also had a strong presence at the event, with several representatives from Headquarters and the Office in Cuba. Dr. Gerardo de Cosío, Interim Representative on the island, was part of the inauguration panel and presented a conference on patient empowerment, addressing important issues for public health development.
Dr. Enrique Vega, Head of the Healthy Life Course Unit of PAHO/WHO, spoke about the Decade of Healthy Aging and the Life Course Approach to health, shedding light on the accelerated aging of the Cuban population and the related challenges.
Dr. Duniesky Cintra, PAHO/WHO consultant in Cuba, shared the results of the project “Strengthening care for the elderly and development of telecare, for healthy aging” in the provinces of Artemisa and Mayabeque. He also discussed the contribution of the United Nations System to maternal and child health in Primary Health Care.
The congress concluded with six work sessions, 11 symposia, and more than 30 conferences, including some virtual. It also included the bestowal of the Honorary Member of the Cuban Society of Family Medicine to 13 personalities from the country related to the health sector, including former Minister of Public Health, José Ramón Machado Ventura.
In her closing speech, Dr. Tania Margarita Cruz, First Vice Minister, acknowledged the dedication and hard work of the doctors, nurses, and health workers at the first level of care in the country, recognizing their significant contributions to the health of the people in Cuba.