Table 1 African countries and Cuban health collaboration

Algeria, 1962

Cuban military and health brigades

First medical mission to Africa, 1963

In this first health brigade, it was not clear who would pay. After interventions by Che Guevara, the Cubans paid.

Angola, 1975

Cuban military and health brigades

Health professionals training in Angola

Medical training in Cuba

Creation and implementation of medical training programmes in rural areas. The programme, developed over a period of 6 years and based on a model tried and tested by the ELAM, is implemented mainly by Cuban professors

Cape Verde, 1975

Cuban brigades to provide health care following independence

Medical training in Cuba

Cape Verde had no medical school until 2015 and was dependent on international collaborations. Human resource secondary data were used to map the training of doctors. Cuba has trained almost half (189) of the doctors trained since 1975.

Gambia, 1999

Cuban brigades

Medical training in Cuba

Establishment of medical school in the Gambia with Cuban support (1999)

Development of community-based medical training (2006)

Demonstrates the evolution of independence from the United Kingdom (1965) to establishing a community-based medical training that focuses on recruiting students from rural areas. Long-term Cuban and Gambian government relationship critical to the success of the programme.

Guinea-Bissau, 1966

Cuban military and medical brigades (1966)

University scholarships to Cuba 1972–1974

Establishment of medical school (1986) staffed by Cuban academics and interns

G-B students sent to Cuba for training (1998–2006)

Medical school closed in 1998 due to conflict and was re-opened with Cuban support in 2006. Until 2013, medical school was staffed exclusively by Cubans. From 2012, G-B took over all costs of the programme.

Guinea Equatorial, 2000

Establishment of medical school (2000)

Medical training in Cuba (sixth year only)

Medical students from Equatorial Guinea Bata Medical School are taught by Cuban academics and go to Cuba to take their sixth academic year and graduate. So far, 208 doctors have graduated from the Bata school.

Mozambique, 1975

Cuban military and medical brigades following independence (1975). Cuban doctors contracted to work in Mozambique from 1992 to 2000 under a pooling project. Cuban academics recruited to implement a reformed curriculum since 2003.

Long-standing health collaboration. Pooling project established with international funds (following fall of USSR) from Switzerland, Netherlands and Norway. Field hospital and medical staff sent following recent (2019) cyclone. Currently, nearly 400 Cuban doctors working in the country.