The beginning of another year hails in the new conference season in Havana. Over the years, the city has earned the reputation as a premier destination for health sector events in the Latin American-Caribbean region.
This year’s congresses cover a broad range of regional and global topics in health. Havana has developed into the preferred regional venue for medical congresses for a number of reasons. The Island has positioned itself as a significant contributor to global health for its medical innovations in the treatment of chronic disease (cancer, hepatitis, and diabetes). It is a major contributor to international health via its medical services abroad, and the recently published and very impressive statistics of longevity and infant mortality rates. In addition, there’s research and development emerging from the city’s institutes which manage to catch the world’s attention. As a result, Havana leads the way as a regional center for these conferences.
Havana offers several locations in the way of conference centers. Spanish company Meliá Cuba’s Cohiba hotel, the Trypp Habana Libre, the Pabexpo Exhibition Center, the ExpoCuba fairgrounds, and the Palacio de las Convenciones (Havana International Conference Center) are the main venues that provide not only the venue but also the technical equipment and staff to assist.
List of Upcoming Health Conferences in Havana:
Pediatric Congress: January
Sponsored by the Cuban Society of Pediatrics, this congress takes place every January. For 28 years now, and again this year, the Pediatric Congress is currently underway at the Palacio de las Convenciones. The Congress will wrap up tomorrow. Conference attendance is high this year, with reports of 400 Latin American and European pediatricians, a delegation from the U.S., and some medical professionals from the Cuban Hospital in Qatar. Why would anyone attend? Perhaps Cuba’s record of the one lowest infant mortality rate in the the world would make it the logical location for such a conference.
CALIXTO 2018: January
Also currently underway in Havana is the Ministry of Public Health and the Pan American Health Organization sponsored CALIXTO 2018. This year’s conference is focusing on trauma and general surgery, aging, intensive patient care, and alternative natural therapies and medicine.
Cuba Salud 2018: April
Organized by the Ministry of Public Health and co-sponsored by a few international organizations, April’s Cuba Salud 2018 will feature some of the most relevant issues on global health today. This year’s Cuba Salud 2018 theme is: “Universal Health for Sustainable Development.” The agenda has an international focus and will take a look at the state of global public health and its challenges. Discussions will also cover health informatics for sustainable development, international cooperation in health safety and quality and medical care. Cuba Salud 2018 will take place at the Havana International Conference Center.
Congress of Cardiology: June
For the tenth year, the Cuban Cardiology Congress organized by the Central American and the Caribbean Society of Cardiology and the Cuban Cardiology Society is scheduled for June. Cardiovascular specialists and hospital executives from the Latin American Caribbean region will gather to discuss the theme, “Offering Excellence in Cardiovascular Health.” The congress is an opportunity for medical industry experts to swap knowledge on prevention, intervention measures, surgical treatment health promotion, and the rehabilitation of patients with various forms of cardiovascular disorders. The Havana International Conference Center is this year’s venue for the Cardiology Congress.
ENDOCENTRO 2018: September
International Symposium of Endocrinology, for researchers, national and foreign specialists, resident physicians and the general public.
QUIMICUBA 2018: October
QUIMICUBA 2018, the “Congress of Chemical Sciences, Technology and Innovation,” has attracted specialists in the fields of chemical engineering, material sciences, and pharmaceuticals over the last 10 years. The Congress is organized by the Cuban Society of Chemistry (SCQ) and the Latin American Federation of Chemical Associations. QUIMICUBA 2018 will begin October 9 to October 12 at the International Conference Center. It is a platform focusing on recent advances in pure and applied chemistry, and its ramification on the biological, pharmaceutical, materials and chemical engineering sciences.
HOMINIS 2018: November
Hominis 2018 is a conference on psychology. The VIII Intercontinental Convention of Psychology is organized by the Cuban Society of Psychology, scheduled for late November at the International Conference Center. This year’s edition of HOMINIS will analyze the place of psychology in well-being and sustainable development. The International Scientific Committee is still accepting proposals for the topics to be discussed at the conference.
IDIFARMA 2018: December
Coming up this December, the IV International Congress on Research, Development, and Innovation or IDIFARMA 2018 is a congress for those interested in the Biopharmaceutical industry. The conference is scheduled for December 3 to December 7. It will take place at the Havana International Conference Center. CIDEM, the Center for Pharmaceutical Research and Development, is responsible for organizing the event. On the agenda, are presentations and workshops on research, development, and innovation in the biotechnical and pharmaceutical industries.
Other Conferences:
Other health conferences which have taken place over the last year are the International Convention of Technology and Health (organized by the University of Havana School of Medical Sciences and the Ministry of Public Health); the U.S. company, Regenestem, in association with the Cuban Institute of Hematology, organized the Inter American Stem Cell Conference on stem cell therapies; the Heberprot-P 2016 conference on Diabetes and Its More Severe Complications; the Congress of the Cuban Society of Obstetrics and Gynecology; and the Iberoamerican Congress of Nuclear Cardiology and Cardiac Imaging.
Also interesting to attend for professionals in the fields of aesthetics, cosmetology, plastic surgery, the “antiaging” and “beauty” business, was the first occurrence of the Congress of Aesthetics, Cosmetology and Aesthetic Medicine. The Ministries of Public Health and Domestic Trade, Cuban Society of Pharmaceutical Sciences and the Latin American School of Formation in High Aesthetics (Elces) organized the conference.
There will, no doubt, be more upcoming health industry congresses and workshops scheduled to take place in Havana this year. Though not yet confirmed, there are rumors of upcoming conferences focusing on the health sciences and medical tourism industries. One thing very evident from the number of events in medical and pharmaceutical R&D that are taking place, is that Havana is the premier venue for both nationally and internationally organized conferences. And in a world that is becoming more global by the day, collaboration in health is of vital importance. Stay posted.
