New York Times: Why Infants May Be More Likely to Die in America Than Cuba
Nicholas Kristof, columnist for the New York Times

“…Cuba is poor and repressive with a dysfunctional economy, but in health care it does an impressive job that the United States could learn from. According to official statistics (about which … there is some debate), the infant mortality rate in Cuba is only 4.0 deaths per 1,000 live births. In the United States, it’s 5.9. … [T]here’s no doubt that a major strength of the Cuban system is that it assures universal access. Cuba has the Medicare for All that many Americans dream about. … In many ways, the Cuban and United States health care systems are mirror opposites. Cuban health care is dilapidated, low-tech, and free, and it is very good at ensuring that no one slips through the cracks. American medicine is high-tech and expensive, achieving some extraordinary results while stumbling at the basics … While we should call on Cuba to grant people … meaningful political rights, we should likewise push for American babies born in low-income families to have the same opportunity for attentive health care as [Cuban children] will have” (1/18).