Infant Mortality Rate in Guantánamo Surges as Communist Party Sticks to Ideology

In a recent political meeting in Guantánamo, a disturbing statistic came to light: the infant mortality rate in the province has reached 13.94 per 1,000 live births, nearly double the national average of 7.1. This alarming figure highlights the decline of the healthcare system in the area. The Provincial Committee of the Communist Party acknowledged additional issues within the healthcare sector, such as a "shortage of primary care doctors" and "complaints about the condition of facilities" at the main healthcare institution, the Dr. Agostinho Neto General Hospital.

The fact that these issues were addressed "in the heat of the debate," as reported by the official newspaper Venceremos, shows the level of concern, although the media outlet did not clarify the causes of the sudden rise in the mortality rate.

In January, the local authorities celebrated a 7.3 infant mortality rate in Guantánamo at the end of 2024, following a 9.0 rate in 2023. Nationally, the rate was 7.1 per 1,000 live births. A report by Radio Guantánamo highlighted the second consecutive year of a decreasing trend, contrasting with a "sharp decline in births," with only 4,236 recorded, more than 1,500 fewer than the previous period.

Underlying Causes and Political Response

The report noted that "congenital malformations causing infant mortality under one year old remained within expected indices" in the province, while the leading causes were "perinatal conditions," including a range of ailments such as hypertension, preeclampsia, and retroplacental hematoma, among others.

The increase to 13.94 per 1,000 live births suggests a lack of follow-up, control, or investment to sustain what was portrayed as an improvement, which appears fragile or circumstantial. The political response to this problem is particularly troubling: "Encouraging the involvement and participation of Party members in the daily activities of health centers and the University of Medical Sciences at all levels; strengthening political and ideological work and increasing Party membership."

Disconnection Between Diagnosis and Solution

This strategy overlooks the material and systemic causes of the issue, such as shortages of supplies, deteriorating infrastructure, the migration of medical personnel, the exportation of healthcare professionals to other countries, and the wear and tear on the public health management model.

Instead of announcing urgent health measures, such as more resources, better equipment, trained personnel, or support for pregnant mothers, more medications, or decent care conditions, the institutional response remains focused on political formulas that have proven ineffective. The disconnect between diagnosis and solution reveals a management approach more focused on preserving the party apparatus than addressing the real needs of the population.

Historical Context and Recent Incidents

Infant mortality is not an abstract statistic; it represents the loss of newborn lives from preventable causes. That a Cuban province is reporting rates exceeding those of recent worst years (such as 2021), without a clear health strategy, signals a collapse.

Cuba reported its lowest infant mortality rate in history in 2017, with a record 4.1 per 1,000 live births, according to the Ministry of Health. In contrast, the country closed 2021 with a rate of 7.6, the highest in the last 20 years. In that year, Ciego de Ávila recorded the highest rate in the country, with 13.6 per 1,000 live births, doubling the previous year's rate, impacted by low birth weight and prematurity linked to hypertension, intrauterine growth retardation, and teenage pregnancy.

A recent video from the Luis Ramírez López Psychiatric Hospital in Guantánamo showed better conditions than usual in Cuba, but previous complaints revealed a lack of equipment, mistreatment, and aggression among patients and caregivers. In 2022, alleged medical negligence with a young Cuban woman in a coma at the Dr. Agostinho Neto General Hospital came to light. In April 2021, two newborns died in the same hospital after the neonatology service administered an antibiotic, which also caused severe instability in two other infants.