Cuba

THE ISLAND OF CUBA, which is located south of Key West, Florida, between the Caribbean Sea and the north Atlantic Ocean, was released from the brutal control [Page 221]of Spain by the intervention of the United States in 1898 in the Spanish-American War. Since 1959, Cuba has been under the communist dictatorship of Fidel Castro. The economic relationship with the United States has been difficult since President John F. Kennedy placed a trade embargo on the communist neighbor in 1961. In order to escape Castro's repressive regime, many residents of the island willingly place their lives in jeopardy by sailing for the United States in boats ill-equipped for the voyage. Others attempt to enter the United States illegally with the help of smugglers or by coming into the country by airplane or along mainland routes into southwestern states.

After the dissolution of the Soviet bloc in the 1990s and the withdrawal of several billions of dollars in annual subsidies, Cuba experienced a recession from which it has yet to recover. The island has a diversified economy, with over half of the labor force involved in services. One-fourth of all workers are employed in the manufacturing sector, and 24 percent are involved in agriculture. Cuba has a per capita income of $3,000, and unemployment is currently at 2.5 percent. The island has been faced with severe shortages of food, consumer goods, and services. As a result, the standard of living has declined. Some 11 percent of the population suffer from malnutrition. Nevertheless, Cuba has almost halved its poverty level in recent years. Unofficial reports place the current poverty level at 5.1 percent.

Cubans experience a life expectancy of 77.23 years, with women outliving men an average of five years. The median age is 35.36 years. Almost 20 percent of the population are under the age of 14, and 10.4 percent have reached the age of 65. Healthcare is free and universal in this socialist country, covering 99.2 percent of the population. HIV/AIDS prevention is a major priority in Cuba, and the country has a prevalence rate of only 0.1 percent. However, most reported incidents in Cuba are spread through sexual contact, so the country faces an ongoing threat from tourists. Approximately 91 percent of the population have access to safe drinking water, and 98 percent have access to proper sanitation. There are 596 physicians per 100,000 residents, and virtually everyone has access to essential drugs.

Infant mortality rates have declined in Cuba in response to easy access to healthcare. Between 1970 and 2005, the mortality rate dropped from 34 deaths per 1,000 live births to 6.33 per 1,000. During that same period, the mortality rate of all children under the age of 5 declined from 43 to eight per 1,000. Approximately six percent of infants are underweight at birth, and four percent of all children under the age of 5 are malnourished. Five percent of under-5s suffer from moderate to severe stunting, and two percent suffer from moderate to severe wasting. Infant immunizations are almost universal, with one percent who have not been immunized against tuberculosis and DPT and two percent who have not been immunized against measles and polio. Only one percent of children between the ages of 12 and 23 months have not been immunized against measles. However, 29 percent in this group have not been immunized against DPT3.

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