‘To play God’: Cuba’s healthcare system collapses under US pressure
Al Jazeera · 2026-07-30
The US tightened sanctions against Cuba under President Donald Trump’s administration have severely impacted the island’s healthcare system, leading to critical medical shortages and a rise in mortality rates. Infant mortality climbed from 4 per 1,000 live births in 2017 to 9.9 in 2025, while the maternal mortality rate reached 44.1 per 100,000 live births by the end of 2025, up from 40.6 the previous year. Obstetrician Lilian Delgado highlights a sharp increase in premature births and severe morbidity among pregnant women due to a nationwide shortage of supplies. Over 100,000 Cubans, including 5,152 cancer patients and 12,000 children, now face extensive waiting lists for elective or reconstructive surgeries, procedures often postponed to the point of becoming life-threatening.
Hospitals struggle with fuel blockades that disrupt transportation and impact essential services, despite having backup generators for power outages. The William Soler Pediatric Hospital, which once performed 10,000 surgeries annually, now manages only 700 operations a year, primarily emergency cases. Medication scarcity is widespread; out of 395 domestically produced medicines, 300 are out of stock. Even state-run pharmacies experience infrequent deliveries, forcing patients like Erenia Carrillo, undergoing dialysis for kidney failure, to ration treatment or resort to the black market where medicines are prohibitively expensive for those earning an average state salary of $11 a month. Family doctors, such as Roxana Martinez, face overwhelming workloads, with patient numbers soaring from 1,875 to over 3,000, and are often forced to recommend natural remedies due to lack of pharmaceutical options.
*The full article also explores the recent loosening of restrictions to allow private pharmacies and the impact of a mass exodus on Cuba's population and healthcare workforce.*