Cuban Medical Internationalism: The Ebola Campaign of 2014–15

• DOI: https://doi.org/10.13169/intejcubastud.8.1.0009
• Published date: 01 April 2016
• Date: 01 April 2016
• Pages: 9-27
• Author: John M. Kirk,Chris Walker
• Subject Matter: Cuba and Ebola,Cuban medical internationalism

IJCS Produced and distributed by Pluto Journals www.plutojournals.com/ijcs/

ACADEMIC ARTICLES

CUBAN MEDICAL INTERNATIONALISM:

THE EBOLA CAMPAIGN OF 2014–15

John M. Kirk

Dalhousie University, Canada

Chris Walker

Saint Mary’s University, Canada

Abstract

This article examines the Cuban response to Ebola in West Africa, specifically in the

three countries where the Cuban medical personnel focused their efforts – Guinea,

Liberia and Sierra Leone. It analyses the situation in West Africa as the disease rapidly

spread, the international response and the Cuban reaction. In particular, it assesses the

impact of Cuba’s contribution and concludes with some thoughts about what can be

learned from this short (6-month) campaign of the Henry Reeve Contingent, which

specialises in responding to natural disasters and medical emergencies. The article finds

that there are important lessons for the international community regarding responses

to future outbreaks. Diseases such as Ebola do not respect international borders and

cannot be overcome with promises of resources or money. In this case, Cuba’s response

– of a highly trained healthcare workforce of doctors, nurses, technicians and others –

remains unique.

Keywords: Cuba and Ebola, Cuban medical internationalism

The Cuban doctors were oblivious to the risks faced. They instead declared that

they were our brothers from across the ocean and came to help us as brothers.

– Augustine Kpehe Ngafuan, Minister of Foreign Relations, Liberia

By early April 2015, some 256 Cuban doctors and nurses, members of the Henry

Reeve Brigade, had returned home after a gruelling six-month stint working in

10 ACADEMIC ARTICLES – JOHN M. KIRK & CHRIS WALKER

InternatIonal Journal of Cuban StudIeS 8.1 SprIng 2016

West Africa. In early October 2014, following a worldwide request from the

United Nations (UN) Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and the Director-General of

the World Health Organisation (WHO), Margaret Chan, they had arrived to deal

with the outbreak of Ebola, which had decimated several countries in West Africa.

Speaking in September 2014, Chan made the greatest needs extremely clear:

Money and materials are important but those two things alone cannot stop Ebola

virus transmission ... Human resources are clearly our most important need. We

need most especially compassionate doctors and nurses, who will know how to

comfort patients despite the barriers of wearing PPE (personal protective

equipment) and working under very demanding conditions.1

The disease had devastated the area. By 1 April 2015, a total of 25,178 cases

had been reported, with over 10,000 reported deaths. By early May, after the

WHO had declared Liberia free of Ebola, the figures remained staggering – more

than 11,000 people had died of the 26,593 cases. Of the dead, 66 per cent were

women, and 22 per cent were children. Among those who contracted the disease,

there were 869 confirmed cases of medical personnel, including 507 deaths.2

Indeed, one of the Cuban doctors, Félix Báez, contracted the disease. He was

treated in Switzerland and, after recovering, returned to work in Sierra Leone.

In Western Europe and North America, the initial months of the epidemic

resulted in mass panic. The WHO appealed for medical personnel to help in

West Africa but few answered the call. Havana, though, responded immediately.

Significantly, Cuba was the first country to respond to the UN appeal and had

the largest medical contingent. José Luis Di Fabio, representative of the WHO

and based in Havana, referred to the ‘incredible response capacity of Cuba’ to

crisis situations.3

This article examines the Cuban response to Ebola in West Africa, specifically

in the three countries where the Cuban medical personnel arrived – Guinea,

Liberia and Sierra Leone. It analyses the background context in West Africa as

the disease rapidly spread, the international response and the Cuban reaction. In

particular, it assesses the impact of Cuba’s contribution and concludes with

some thoughts about what can be learned from this short (6-month) campaign

of the Henry Reeve Contingent, which specialises in responding to natural disas-

ters and medical emergencies.4

Background to Cuba’s Medical Internationalism

There are few countries that have the length of experience in delivering medical

cooperation compared with Cuba. Starting in 1960, when the first medical