Cosme Ordoñez Canceller

Merit Professor and Full Member of the Academy of Sciences of Cuba, DrC. Cosme Ordóñez Carceller, study companion from elementary school at Colegio de Belén of Fidel Castro Ruz.

Graduated in medicine in 1953, he later trained as a specialist in Epidemiology. Among his most notable activities was being National Head in 1962 of the first Poliomyelitis Vaccination Campaign in Cuba with Sabin oral vaccine and member of the advisory commission of Cuba's Minister of Health that designed the new model of Primary Health Care and the new Community Health approach (1973-1974).

But his greatest contribution has been directing the Teaching Polyclinic "Plaza de la Revolución" for more than three decades, leading the implementation of the Community Medicine model, the design of the training program for the Specialist in Comprehensive General Medicine and the execution of clinical-epidemiological and social research on elderly adults in the Plaza de la Revolución community, whose results favored the decision to create the 45 Grandparents' Circles of the Polyclinic in 1983, a model that has subsequently been extended throughout the country. From 2008 onwards he held the position of Honorary Director.

His rich professional, teaching, research and scientific activity in general, allowed him to assume, in a distinguished manner, the organization of events, especially international ones held in Cuba on "Health For All". He was Coordinator for more than 20 years of the International Seminars on Primary Health Care (PHC).

For his dedication and commitment to primary care and community medicine, and his drive to contribute decisively to achieving health for all in the year 2000, he received numerous national decorations and recognitions, among which stand out: Honorary Title of Hero of Labor of the Republic of Cuba, Order "Carlos J. Finlay", Order "Frank País", Medal 250th Anniversary of the University of Havana, National Vanguard of Health, among others.

He also received numerous international recognitions, among which stand out: Prize from the León Bernard Foundation for Social Medicine awarded by the WHO, "Ad Honorem" Professor of the Faculty of Medicine of the University of the Oriental Republic of Uruguay, Distinguished Citizen of the City of Baltimore, Official Guest of the Municipalities of Santa Rosa, Rio Grande Do Sul, Botucatú, São Paulo and Itahandú and Minas Gerais, Brazil; Guest of Honor of La Plata and Mendoza, Argentina; Diploma "Outstanding in Public Health" delivered by PAHO-WHO and Honorary Member of the Uruguayan Society of Primary Health Care.

A Martiano from childhood, and already being a professor, he used to repeat the thought of the Master: "The best salary is the gratitude of my students..."

His life was dedicated to his two great achievements: health and education.