FCO Prosperity Fund

Global Health Security, International Cooperation and Public Policies

With the support of the FCO Prosperity Fund the School of Health Policy and the Centre are working with Cuban policymakers and stakeholders to examine how Global health security (GHS), that seeks to mitigate risks posed by spread of infectious disease, can contribute to greater resilience in Cuba’s health provision.

Cuba is renowned for its healthcare system, especially its ‘prevention before cure’ approach, deployment to 158 countries since 1960 and training foreign practitioners at the School of Medicine. But it faces future stress. The spread of Zika to Cuba in 2016 indicated that the country’s changing international engagement might present future sudden emerging disease risks. Moreover, although Cuba scores highly on the International Health Regulations (2005) self-assessment, it has not undergone the Joint External Evaluation (JEE), a best practice requirement of the WHO’s governance system.

On the 3rd December the Universidad de la Habana, FLACSO Cuba and the LSE will come together to discuss Cuba’s potential for the JEE in Havana, Cuba. The conference will facilitate a dialogue about Cuba’s contribution to our understanding of Global Health Security, specifically focusing on:

  • How Global health security (GHS) that seeks to mitigate risks posed by spread of infectious disease can contribute to greater resilience in Cuba’s health provision.
  • Test Cuba’s preparedness to undergo the JEE, identify what gaps remain and how these might be tackled.
  • As synergies are promoted between GHS and universal health coverage (UHC), the conference will analyse how Cuba can develop UHC whilst strengthening pandemic preparedness.

The project will contribute policy knowledge of health services globally, including UK, and South-South cooperation, new methodological and data capability, and approaches to building infrastructure and resilience capabilities.

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