Guillermo M. Vaillant Suárez

He was born in the City of Santiago de Cuba, former Province of Oriente. His early education took place at the Kindergarten of the Workers' Union of the Bacardí Beverage Factory and later, from first to third grade in elementary school at a neighborhood school, then moving to the Private School Institución Videaux where he studied up to the sixth grade of primary education, also completing preparatory coursework for high school entrance, which he began at the aforementioned institution through the third year, then transferring to the Instituto "Cuqui Bosch" where he completed those studies simultaneously with his studies as a Land Surveyor and Appraiser in 1962.

Subsequently, he enrolled in the School of Medicine at the University of Oriente, obtaining his Doctor of Medicine degree in 1968. Beginning in January 1969, he started his professional career as a Post-Graduate Physician, which can be summarized as follows:
1969-1971.- Director and Medical Assistant at the Regional Children's Hospital Hermanos Cordobés and Regional Pediatrics Director in Manzanillo.
1971-1973.- Resident Physician in Pediatrics at the North Teaching Pediatric Hospital, Santiago de Cuba and Technical Vice Director in the 1971-72 period.
1973-1976.- Head of the Provincial Pediatrics Group of the Provincial Public Health Department South Oriente.
1976-1981.- Vice Director of Medical and Social Assistance of the Provincial Public Health Department Santiago de Cuba.
1981-1982.- Specialist Physician Intensive Care Unit North Pediatric Hospital Santiago de Cuba.
1982-1985.- Director of the South Teaching Pediatric Hospital, Santiago de Cuba. Obtained the Title of Specialist of the Second Degree in Pediatrics.
1986-1987.- Second Chief of the Cuban Medical Mission in the Republic of Nicaragua.
1987-1988.- Head of Maternal and Child Department, Provincial Public Health Department, Santiago de Cuba.
1988-1990.- Vice Provincial Director of Teaching and Research, Santiago de Cuba.
1990-1996.- Vice Director of Medical and Social Assistance of the Provincial Public Health Department, Santiago de Cuba.
1996-2000.- Chief of the Cuban Medical Brigade, Advisor to the State Health Secretary and Professor at the School of Medicine of the Federal University of the State of Roraima, Brasil.
2000-2006.- Vice Director of Medicines of the Provincial Public Health Department Santiago de Cuba.
2006-2007.- Territorial Coordinator of Cardiology and Cardiovascular Surgery.
2007-2009.- Advisor Cuban Medical Brigade Vilma Espín Guillois in Djelfa, Democratic and Popular Republic of Algeria.
2009-2012.- Official of the Provincial Public Health Department in Santiago de Cuba, serving as an advisor.

After completing Social Medical Service at the Regional Pediatric Hospital in Manzanillo, he began his Specialization Studies in Pediatrics in 1971, which he concluded in 1973, obtaining the title of Specialist of the First Degree in Pediatrics. Despite the administrative activities carried out during his professional life, he managed to pursue the rewarding paths of teaching and research, which can be summarized as:
- Teaching Assistant in Biochemistry in Medicine at the University of Oriente (1963).
- Instructor Professor of Pediatrics (September 1977).
- Assistant Professor of Pediatrics (October 1984).
- Auxiliary Professor of Pediatrics (November 1989).
- Consulting Professor of Pediatrics (September 2006).
- Master's in Comprehensive Child Care (January 2007).

He was a mentor or advisor for the completion of residency work of 20 residents in Pediatrics specialty as well as for completion of work in the Diploma in Pharmacoepidemiology (1) and for completion of Master's work in Health Administration (1) and Health Economics (1).

He served on State Boards for examination of Specialists of the First Degree in Pediatrics and Child Psychiatry, for the granting of Teaching Category in Pediatrics specialty and in the Master's of Comprehensive Child Care, where he taught the Module on Vaccine-Preventable Diseases.

He taught nine Post-Graduate courses in the specialty and participated as a student in eleven national and five international courses, publishing 23 scientific works as principal author or co-author in national and provincial journals, as well as two monographs.

Other scientific and teaching activities
- Instructor of the course for inspectors of the Diarrheal Disease Control Program OPS, Santiago de Cuba, 1984.
- Provincial Representative on the Commission for the review of the CEDMINSAP-OPS Program, Santiago de Cuba, 1989.
- Professor of the subjects of Communicable Diseases, Organization of Health Services and Hospital Administration, Center for Health Development and Studies, Managua, Nicaragua, 1987.
- Auxiliary Professor of Pediatrics, South Pediatric Hospital Santiago de Cuba, 1987/1996.
- Professor of Preventive Medicine, Epidemiology, Health and Community, Health Administration and Pediatrics, Federal University, Roraima, Brasil from 1998 to 2000.
- Professor of the Module on Vaccine-Preventable Diseases of the Master's in Comprehensive Child Care, 2006.
- Member of the Bioimpedance Working Group of the National Center for Applied Electromagnetism.

Awards received
- Provincial Vanguard of the Health Workers Union for three consecutive years
- Medal of Internationalist Worker, 1987.
- Diploma of Exemplarity in the fulfillment of Internationalist Mission, 1987.
- Recognition Diploma from the Ministry of Health of the Republic of Nicaragua, 1987.
- Distinction for Cuban Education, 1990.
- Manuel Fajardo Distinction, 1991.
- August 23rd Distinction, 1992.
- Outstanding Official of the Provincial Public Health Department, 2004.
- Most Outstanding Official of the Province Santiago de Cuba, 2004.
- Recognition for participation in Operation Miracles, 2005.
- Relevant XVI Forum of Science and Technology and VI Provincial Sectoral Forum, 2005.
- Participation in Operation Victory of Girón at the Cardio Center of Santiago de Cuba, 2006.
- Dedication to management tasks for 32 years, October 2006.
- Founder of the Faculty of Health Technology, January 2007.
- Recognition for meritorious contribution to Nutrition in Santiago de Cuba, April 2007.

In August 2011, Dr. Guillermo Vaillant wrote: "In the life of every professional there are reasons to feel proud of one's trajectory; in my case, having had the opportunity and the honor of meeting him personally, listening to his advice and participating as an observer during the final years of work of the Father of Pediatrics in Santiago de Cuba, Dr. Antonio Beguez César; having been and continuing to be a student of outstanding personalities and true masters of our specialty, Professors Alfonso Araujo Ruiz, Ángel Onel Valón Jiménez, Hugo Torres Aldrich, now deceased; Enrique González Corona, Guillermo Amaro Ivonet, Silvia Juztiz Hernández, Melba Puzo Hansen constitute for me the greatest pride in my condition as a Pediatrician."

Upon his death on August 9, 2012, in his beloved native Santiago de Cuba, he left us the legacy of his fruitful life and his grateful heart, which will serve as inspiration to present and future generations of Cuban pediatricians.