MEDICC Review’s aim is to bring Cuban medical and public health policy, research, programs and outcomes to the attention of the global health community, in order to enrich dialogue, debate and practice aimed at achieving equitable access to quality health care worldwide. Founded in 1999, MEDICC Review is the only English-language journal of its kind, providing medical and population health research by Cuban scientists, analysis of health and medicine developments in the country, and feature coverage of Cuban health policy, practice, outcomes and global health cooperation programs.

MEDICC Review also publishes work from international researchers, educators and professionals in the health sciences fields, giving preference to articles relevant to achieving health equity, universal coverage and quality health care in resource-constrained settings or for medically underserved populations.

Its abbreviated title is MEDICC rev., which should be used in bibliographies, footnotes and bibliographical references and strips.

• MEDLINE;
• Science Citation INdex Expanded/SciSearch;
• Journal Citation Reports/Science Edition;
• Social Sciences Citation Index;
• Social Scisearch;
• Journal citation Reports;
• CABI Global Health;
• Tropical Diseases Bulletin;
• EMBASE;
• SCOPUS.

The jornal is sponsored by:

• The Atlantic Philanthropies,
• The Rockefeller Foundation,
• The Arca Foundation,
• The Christopher Reynolds Foundation.

C. William Keck, MD, MPH, FACPM
keck@lek.net

Gail Reed, MS - Oakland, CA, United States
medic@infomed.sld.cu

Christina Mills MD FRCPC (Managing Editor) - Oakland, CA, United States
mediccreviewkv@infomed.sld.cu

Conner Gorry MA - Oakland, CA, United States
connergo@infomed.sld.cu

• Diane Appelbaum, RN, FNP, MS
• Debra Evenson, JSD
• Peter Bourne, MD, MA

• Gloria Giraldo, MPH
• Anna Kovac
• Julián Torres

• James Boex, PhD, MBA
  Professor of Public Health Sciences
  Univ. of Cincinnati College of Medicine, USA
• Peter Bourne, MD, MA
  Visiting Fellow, Green Templeton College
  University of Oxford, UK
• Alfred Brann, MD
  Professor of Pediatrics
  Emory University School of Medicine, USA
• Jaime Breilh, MD, PhD, MSc
  Director, Health Department
  Universidad Andina Simón Bolívar, Ecuador
• José F. Cordero, MD, MPH
  Dean, Graduate School of Public Health
  University of Puerto Rico, Puerto Rico
• Yamila de Armas, MD
  Deputy Director of Health
  Havana City Province, Cuba
• Maria Cecilia de Souza Minayo, MS, PhD
  Professor of Sociology
  National School of Public Health, Brazil
• Ernesto De la Torre, MD, PhD
  Consulting Professor of Pediatrics
  Medical Sciences University of Havana, Cuba
• Timothy De Ver Dye, PhD, MS, MA, MPA
  Professor, Public Health & Preventive Medicine
  Director, Center for Research & Evaluation
  SUNY Upstate Medical University, USA
• Roger Downer, PhD, DrSc, FRSC, MRIA
  President Emeritus, University of Limerick, Ireland
• Leith L. Dunn, PhD
  Senior Lecturer & Director, Centre for Gender &
  Development Studies, University of the West Indies
  Jamaica
• Dabney Evans, MPH, CHES
  Sr. Associate Faculty, Rollins School of Public Health
  Executive Director, Institute of Human Rights
  Emory University, USA
• Lowell Gerson, PhD
  Professor Emeritus of Epidemiology
  Northeastern Ohio Universities Colleges of
  Medicine & Pharmacy USA
• Jean Handy, PhD
  Associate Professor of Microbiology & Immunology
  University of North Carolina School of Medicine, USA
• Barbara J. Hatcher, PhD, MPH, RN
  Director, Center for Learning & Global Public Health
  American Public Health Association
  Secretary General, World Federation of Public Health Associations, USA
• Raúl Herrera, MD, PhD, DrSc
  Chair, National Nephrology Group
  Member, Academy of Sciences, Cuba
• Eve Higginbotham, MD
  Dean, Vice President for Academic Affairs & CEO
  Morehouse School of Medicine, USA
• Sharon K. Hull, MD, MPH
  Associate Professor & Chair, Behavioral & Community Health Sciences
  Northeastern Ohio Universities Colleges of Medicine & Pharmacy, USA
• Emelia Icart, EdD Special Education
  Director
  La Castellana Psychopedagogical Center, Cuba
• C. William Keck, MD, MPH, FACPM
  Professor Emeritus, Community Health Sciences
  Northeastern Ohio Universities Colleges of
  Medicine & Pharmacy, USA
• Ann Marie Kimball, MD, MPH
  Director, Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation
  Emerging Infections Network; Professor of
  Epidemiology, School of Public Health & Community Medicine
  University of Washington, USA
• Barry Kistnasamy, MBChB, Mmed
  Coordinator, Health Management Programme
  Nelson Mandela School of Medicine
  University of KwaZulu Natal, South Africa
• Patrick Kuma-Aboagye, MB-BCH, MPH
  Coordinator, Reproductive Health Programme
  Ghana Health Service, Ghana
• Albert Kuperman, PhD
  Associate Dean for Educational Affairs
  Albert Einstein College of Medicine of Yeshiva University, USA
• Margaret D. Larkins-Pettigrew, MD, MEd, BSN
  Assistant Professor & Director
  Global Health and Reproductive Science
  University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, USA
• Linh Cu Le, MD, PhD
  Associate Professor of Public Health
  Hanoi School of Public Health, Vietnam
• Miguel Marquez, MD, MPH
  Former PAHO Representative in Cuba, Ecuador
• Nancy Myers, PhD, RN
  Assistant Professor of Epidemiology
  Northeastern Ohio Universities Colleges of
  Medicine & Pharmacy, USA
• Daniel J. Ncayiyana, MD, FACOG
  Director, Benguela Health
  Editor-in-Chief, South African Medical Journal
  South Africa
• André-Jacques Neusy, MD, DTM&H
  Founding Director, Center for Global Health
  NYU School of Medicine & Vice President for
  International Programs, GHEC, Belgium
• F. Javier Nieto, MD, PhD
  Chair, Dept of Population Health Sciences
  University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and
  Public Health, USA
• Jorge Pérez, MD, MPH
  Deputy Director
  Pedro Kourí Tropical Medicine Institute, Cuba
• Patricia Rodney, PhD, MPH, RN
  Assistant Dean for Public Health Education
  Professor, Community Health & Preventive Medicine
  Morehouse School of Medicine, USA
• María Isabel Rodríguez, MD
  Minister of Public Health & Social Assistance
  El Salvador
• Francisco Rojas Ochoa, MD, PhD
  Distinguished Professor
  Medical Sciences University of Havana
  Editor, Revista Cubana de Salud Pública, Cuba
• F. Douglas Scutchfield, MD, FACPM
  Professor, Health Services Research & Policy
  University of Kentucky Medical Center, USA
• Stuart Shanker, DPhil, MA
  Distinguished Professor, Psychology & Philosophy
  Director, Milton & Ethel Harris Research Initiative
  York University, Canada
• Augusto Sola, MD
  Director, Neonatal Research & Academic Affairs
  Morristown Memorial Hospital, USA
• Ronald St. John, MD, MPH
  President, St. John Public Health Consulting
  International, Canada
• Pedro Urra, MS
  Director, National Medical Sciences Information
  Center & INFOMED, Cuba
• Pedro A. Valdés-Sosa, MD, PhD
  Deputy Director, Cuban Neuroscience Center
  Member, Academy of Sciences, Cuba
• Luis F. Vélez, MD, MPH, PhD
  Asst. Professor of Epidemiology & Biostatistics
  Institute for Health Promotion Research
  University of Texas Health Science Center, USA
• Howard Waitzkin, MD, MS, PhD
  Distinguished Professor, Depts. of Sociology,
  Family and Community Medicine & Internal Medicine
  University of New Mexico, USA

Editorial Process

MEDICC Review is committed to the highest quality scientific writing and journalism. Manuscripts submitted as Original Research, Lessons from the Field, Review Articles, or Perspective undergo a series of editorial reviews and peer review. This process generally takes 6 to 9 months from submission to publication.

Manuscripts received by MEDICC Review are first reviewed by the journal’s editors to determine if work is original, adheres to submission guidelines, is written in a professional and scientific manner, and is within the scope of the journal. Manuscripts that do not satisfy these criteria will be returned to author(s) with an explanation of the editors’ decision.

Editorial review includes biostatistical and epidemiological evaluation, if appropriate. Authors may be asked to make modifications in the organization, style, formatting, length, level of detail and other aspects of their draft manuscript at different stages in the editorial process. Editors will work closely with authors as needed to fulfill journal standards and requirements.

Translation: Articles submitted in Spanish and accepted for publication are translated into English and subsequently edited for style. Authors are required to be available at the translation stage to provide any necessary clarifications and to approve the final draft.

Tracking Submissions: During the editorial process, MEDICC Review prefers to communicate with authors by email.

Authors can expect notice of receipt of submission by email within 2 weeks after sending their manuscript. Progress of the manuscript through editing stages will depend on the level of editing required and on authors’ availability.

Authors are encouraged to inquire about their manuscript’s progress by writing to the editors at: editors@medicc.org.

Author Appeals: Authors may make a formal appeal upon notification of rejection of their manuscript, when all other avenues have been exhausted for arriving at a mutual understanding of the reasons behind the rejection.

Appeals should be addressed to Dr. C. William Keck, Editor-in-Chief, and sent to: editors@medicc.org. They will be reviewed by the Editor-in-Chief and two appropriate members of the Editorial Board selected by him, after determining no competing interests on their part.
A final decision will be communicated to the author(s) in writing by the Editor-in-Chief.

Peer Review

Articles in the following sections of MEDICC Review are peer reviewed:

• Original Research
• Lessons from the Field
• Review
• Perspective

MEDICC Review uses double-blind peer review, whereby author(s) and reviewers remain anonymous to each other. Each manuscript is reviewed in its original language (Spanish or English) by at least two reviewers selected by the editors for their expertise in the topic treated. In all cases, at least one reviewer is from a country other than the author’s country of origin.
All reviewers are volunteers, and are required to adhere to MEDICC Review’s Conflict of Interest Policy.

MEDICC Review is continually updating its roster of peer reviewers; we welcome peer-reviewer recommendations. If you would like to become or recommend a reviewer, please contact the editors at editors@medicc.org.

MEDICC Review’s editors consider manuscripts by Cuban and international authors on subjects related to Cuban or international health and medicine.

FOR ALL SECTIONS OF THE JOURNAL: The editors give preference to articles particularly relevant to achieving health equity, universal coverage and quality health care in resource-constrained settings or for medically underserved populations.

• Readership: All articles should be written for a general readership of health professionals.

• Original work: All manuscripts submitted to the journal must be the original and unpublished work of their authors.

• Redundant publication: editors consider only manuscripts submitted exclusively to MEDICC Review. If you have submitted the same or a similar paper to another journal, do not submit it to MEDICC Review.

• Languages: MEDICC Review accepts manuscripts written in English or Spanish, preferring that authors write in their native language. The journal assumes responsibility for translation into English when required.

• Case studies: MEDICC Review does not publish case studies.

• Ethics: MEDICC Review editorial policies conform to the Uniform Requirements for Manuscripts Submitted to Biomedical Journals (including author, reviewer and editor conflict of interest policies) and the World Medical Association Declaration of Helsinki: Ethical Principles for Medical Research Involving Human Subjects. For details, see Ethics & Policies.

• Editorial process and decisions: MEDICC Review editors are solely responsible for final decisions on selection of articles for publication in the journal. See Editorial Process, Peer Review and Ethics & Policies for details on editorial responsibilities and the appeal process for rejected manuscripts.

Getting Started…

We recommend you read the journal, familiarize yourself with subject matter, tone and format.

Choose one of MEDICC Review’s sections below for details on how to submit your manuscript:

Original Research Articles report results of research in clinical medicine, population health, pharmaceutical development, health strategies, international health cooperation, or training in the health professions. The text, including references, is limited to 5000 words (6000 words in Spanish), plus 5 tables/figures/images and no more than 50 references. All submissions to this section are subject to double-blind peer review.

Lessons from the Field are brief reports describing interventions and their results in population health, health sciences education, global health cooperation or clinical practice. The text is limited to 2500 words (3000 in Spanish), plus 2 tables/figures/images and no more than 20 references. All submissions to this section are subject to double-blind peer review.

Review Articles summarize findings on a particular subject related to population health or clinical medicine, with preference for topics relevant to improving health equity and access to quality health care for developing countries or medically underserved populations. These may also be retrospectives on the history of medicine, public health or medical education globally, regionally, in Cuba or another country. The text is limited to 5000 words (6000 in Spanish), plus 5 tables/figures/images and no more than 50 references. All submissions to this section are subject to double-blind peer review.

Perspective provides insightful,well-referenced discussion of current topics in health care, medicine, population health, ethics, international health cooperation, training of health professionals, or health policies and practice, including their implications for health equity, quality of health care or social wellbeing in general. Editors prefer articles using concrete experience as a reference point for discussion. The text is limited to 2500 words (3000 in Spanish), plus one figure/table/image and no more than 20 references. All submissions to this section are subject to double-blind peer review.

Viewpoint is a short essay, reflecting the author’s opinion on a specific health-related and often polemical issue. The text is limited to 1000 words (1200 in Spanish), plus no more than 2 references. All submissions to this section are subject to editorial review.

Letter to the Editors refers to a topic covered inarticles published in MEDICC Review. The text is limited to 350 words (400 in Spanish), plus no more than 2 references. The editors reserve the right to edit letters for length and grammar.

Unsolicited manuscripts are not considered for the following journal sections:

Editorial presents the theme of each issue within a global framework, examining the problems and scope thereof, with particular focus on Cuba and the developing world, linking these general considerations to the issue’s specific content.

Policy & Practice describes a Cuban program (usually national in scope), its history, results and challenges. The subject reflects the main theme of a journal issue. This section may be written by MEDICC Review editors or by Cuban authors. Exceptionally, this section may refer to global health policy and practice.

Feature presents an in-depth examination of current practice in Cuban medicine and public health, and usually focuses on subjects related to the central theme of a journal issue. Features are based on primary sources, including health professionals, policymakers, patients and communities. These articles are usually written by MEDICC Review staff or Cuban authors.

Interview reflects the experience and opinions of a leader, innovator, or expert in a particular field, or of a group (the latter in roundtable format). This section is written by MEDICC Review staff or may be solicited from guest authors.

International Cooperation Report is a feature dedicated to international health programs involving a significant Cuban contribution. Articles for this section may be written by MEDICC Review staff or may be solicited from guest authors.

Reprint of original research articles. These are selected by the editors on the basis of their relevance to achieving health equity, universal coverage and quality health care in resource-constrained settings or for medically underserved populations. They may have originally appeared in international or Cuban journals (written by international authors, Cuban authors or collaboratively).  Recommendations for reprints may be sent to: editors@medicc.org.