The Challenge of Eliminating Childhood Tuberculosis in Cuba.

WHO's 2015 End Tuberculosis Strategy can succeed only through universal health coverage, social protection, poverty alleviation and effective multisector actions to tackle social determinants in general. The pediatric age group is particularly vulnerable to tuberculosis and historically neglected worldwide. However, this group is a priority within Cuba's National Tuberculosis Control Pro-gram that has functioned since 1970, and Cuba is considered a low-incidence country with rates < 7 per 100,000 population since 2011.

Risk factors for wheezing in infants born in Cuba.

Background: Cuba is a unique country, and despite limited economic development, has an excellent health system. However, the prevalence of asthma symptoms in children in Havana, Cuba, is unusually high.

Aim: As early life exposures are critical to the aetiology of asthma, we have studied environmental influences on the risk of wheezing in Cuban infants.

[Tuberculosis in 0-14 year-olds in Cuba (1994-2003)].

Introduction: Tuberculosis in infants and children is a sign of continuous transmission. The present article describes the distribution and the trend in incidence rates of new tuberculosis cases in 0-15-year-olds in Cuba.

Methods: Incidence rates and their trend were estimated by provinces and age groups for the 1994-2003 period.

Prescription of antibiotics for mild acute respiratory infections in children.

Acute respiratory infections (ARI), the leading class of ailments causing people to seek health care, rarely require antibiotics. Nevertheless, many physicians prescribe them needlessly. Hence, reducing the unnecessary use of antibiotics is one aim of any ARI control program.