Date of Conferral

6-30-2025

Degree

Ph.D.

School

Public Policy and Administration

Advisor

Steven Matarelli

Abstract

Haiti ranks among the lowest in healthcare quality in the Americas, according to the health indicators used by the World Health Organization. Despite national and international efforts to improve health service delivery, access to primary medical care and preventive services is limited, especially in rural areas. In response to a request from the Haitian government following the devastating Hurricane Georges, the arrival of the first Cuban doctors to support ongoing public health needs commenced in December 1998. Recognizing an opportunity for international cooperation, the Haitian president sought assistance from Cuba by signing a bilateral cooperation agreement for initial and ongoing medical support, which persists today. Although several studies have explored the impacts of Cuban global health diplomacy and medical internationalism in Haiti, the Cuba–Haiti medical cooperation has not been subjected to rigorous analysis regarding its primary driving force. The purpose of this qualitative case study was to examine the goals and effectiveness of Cuban medical internationalism through the perspectives of Haitian doctors who graduated from Escuela Latinoamericana de Medicina through the lens of Walt’s theory on international aid. Data were collected through 11 semi-structured interviews using purposeful recruitment via social media platforms and analyzed using the thematic analysis method and ATLAS.ti 25. The study results indicated that the cooperation effectively increased access to care and produced qualified healthcare professionals. Positive social change is expected by providing well-researched information to Haitian policymakers to improve both public health outcomes in Haiti and the medical cooperation with Cuba.

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