Do Platypus Make Good Pets

Childhood in Cuba

The theme of childhood is very dear to me. For this reason, espondendo the infantile situation in Cuba, I will use a total objectivity. Will report on data supplied by the Cuban government, but derived exclusively from reports and estimates of international associations.

Worldwide there are 146 million children under 5 years are underweight. The percentage of children suffering from this terrible plague sub-Saharan Africa are 28%, 17% in the Middle East and North Africa, 15% in East Asia and the Pacific, 7% in Latin America and the Caribbean, 5% in Central East and 27% in other developing countries. None of these 146 million children in Cuba. Cuba is the only country in Latin America and the Caribbean to have completely eradicated severe child malnutrition [United Nations Fund for Children, UNICEF].

Worldwide, 852 million people suffer from hunger and 53 million of them live in Latin America. Only in Mexico 5milioni there are 250 thousand hungry people in Haiti and 3 million 800 thousand, while across the globe die of hunger every year more than 5 million children. Cuba is the country with the best progress in Latin America in the fight against malnutrition general [Organization of the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization, FAO].

Cuba offers to the entire population of a health system with free supply of medicines to the State. The result is a infant mortality rate of 5 per thousand. Among the lowest the world. Throughout the American continent (including the USA) is second only than that of Canada. And it follows a average life expectancy of 79 years, an index close to that of Western countries.

Cuba provides the system of "libreta" which includes a minimum delivery of basic foodstuffs with particular attention to children and the elderly. In particular, it provides for the daily delivery of milk to all children up to seven years of age. This is compounded by the delivery of other foods, according to the financial resources of the country, which are distributed in a small egalitarian age groups of children. Up 13 years of age is given priority to the distribution of complementary products such as soy yogurt, and in situations of natural disaster are protected by the small free delivery of food staples

In particular, we will maintain an constant vigilance on the growth of children and adolescents. From the first days of life of the incalculable benefits of breastfeeding infants justify all the efforts made in Cuba to promote health and development of their childhood. Currently 99% of newborns from maternity leave with exclusive breastfeeding, more than the proposed target, which is 95%, according to data officers, where it is reported that all provinces of the country reach this goal.

With the support of agricultural production, even in conditions of great drought, it is possible to arrive at a consumption in excess of standards established by FAO.

In all areas of the underdeveloped and developing countries, including Latin America, there is an average illiteracy rate of 25%. Cuba is the only country on the continent with a literacy rate of 100%. There is indeed a totally free school system from primary school to university. The state provides free of all the materials needed for the study (books, notebooks, pens, canteen and university accommodation). Cuban state spends 17% of GDP for education. At primary school there are 10 students per teacher in secondary school 11 students per teacher, a percentage so high as to make Cuba the country throughout the American continent with the highest student / teacher ratio [UNESCO]

Martin Carnoy, a professor at Stanford University (California) in 2007 has published a book in which he analyzes in depth the educational system in Cuba. According to him, primary schools would be the best Cuban American Latin America and maybe even better than Florida.

addition, through the compulsory education up to 16 years, Cuba has managed to eradicate child labor (unique situation in the entire American continent).

In conclusion, if we compare Cuba to other Latin American neighboring states that have adopted the Western democratic system, and multi-party pro-American (Ecuador, Dominican Republic, Haiti, Colombia, Guatemala, etc..), it is clear that Cuba has a health and educational situation of far greater one of these countries. Consequently, a person with a minimum of acumen will realize that the Cuban government to accuse the many problems that still plague the Caribbean island is equivalent to take an incomplete and devoid of any logical coherence and systemic without taking into account the situation in its continental complex.