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Table 3 Policy recommendations for sustainable human resource development for health

From: Medical training for universal health coverage: a review of Cuba–South Africa collaboration

• Global policies for Universal Health Coverage require innovative ways of tackling problems of maldistribution of doctors and migration from low- and middle-income countries.

• The South Africa–Cuba cooperation to train black, disadvantaged South African students in Cuba to become doctors to provide services to rural and urban under-served populations in South Africa provides a major opportunity for Universal Health Coverage.

• The current negative narrative about these young doctors insufficiently skilled for South African medicine and requiring years of further training in South African medical schools has to be changed. These Cuban-trained doctors have excellent skills in primary care, prevention and teamwork which are of great value to strengthen primary health care services.

• Bilateral arrangements between South Africa and the United Kingdom may provide mechanisms to support rural primary health care training schemes.

• The Cuban approach to medical education may have lessons for many countries attempting to meet the challenges of Universal Health Coverage.