Juan Manuel Diego Cobelo

Graduate of Medicine. Specialist of Second Degree in Obstetrics and Gynecology. Specialist of Second Degree in Health Administration. Consulting Professor and Professor of Merit. Vice President of the Cuban Society of Educators in Health Sciences. Member of the Executive Board of the Cuban Society of Public Health. Regional Deputy Director of Medical Assistance and Teaching, Regional Director of Public Health in the Cienfuegos region. Founder of the Latin American Association of Medical Schools and Faculties, serving as its first Secretary General and subsequently as its President for two terms, he organized the Summit on Medical Education in the Americas in Punta del Este in conjunction with FEPAFEM and WHO-PAHO, delegate from Latin America to the World Summit on Medical Education in Edinburgh.

He began his residency in Obstetrics and Gynecology in Chicago at Saint Anne's Hospital affiliated with Chicago University and later at South Florida Baptist Hospital. In 1959 he took on the position of Director of the Maternal Hospital in Cienfuegos, participated in the development of Obstetrics standards on the subject of instrumental delivery with a team from Las Villas. He participated in the selection, organization and development of the first Nursing Assistant course and subsequently in the creation of the School of Nurses and Health Technicians in Cienfuegos. Awarded a scholarship by WHO in Mexico to pursue a Master's degree in Public Health, he served as provincial deputy director of Medical Assistance and Teaching in the province of Las Villas and subsequently became the first dean of the School of Medicine in Las Villas.

He was selected by PAHO to attend a workshop in Washington on the formation of Human Resources in Health.

When the Institute of Higher Medical Sciences was established, he became its first rector and later was appointed Rector of Central University.

Subsequently he held the position of Deputy Minister of Teaching, promoting the creation of 21 Schools of Medicine in the country, the creation of schools in other countries as part of internationalist aid.

Due to health problems he took on the position of Dean of the Fajardo School of ISCMH, participating in teaching and research in Health Administration.

He went to Jamaica as an advisor to the Ministry of Health and head of Cuban collaboration in that country, upon his return he joined the team of the Vice Rectorship of Academic Development of ISCMH Central Rector for the design of Study Plans in Health Careers.

Throughout his professional, teaching and managerial life he participated in more than one hundred scientific events, both national and international, especially those organized by Cuban Scientific Societies of Medical Education and Public Health, in which he delivered lectures and participated in panels and round tables.

As a man committed to his chosen profession and to the times in which he lived, becoming one of the protagonists of the Cuban Revolution, he assumed various responsibilities, both national and international, among which stand out: Vice President of the Cuban Society of Educators in Health Sciences, from which he worked in the foundation of the Latin American Association of Medical Schools and Faculties, serving as its first Secretary General and subsequently as its President for two terms, a position from which he organized the Summit on Medical Education in the Americas in Punta del Este, in conjunction with FEPAFEM and WHO-PAHO and later Delegate from Latin America to the World Summit on Medical Education in Edinburgh.

In 2011 he was also elected as a member of the Board of Governors of the Cuban Society of Public Health, holding the Vice Presidency since 2012. Founder of the Alliance of Public Health Associations of the Americas (AASPA) in 2015, he has been part of its Board of Directors since then in the position of Secretary General.

His solid professional, scientific and pedagogical training enabled him to carry out his responsibilities with efficiency. His dignity, honesty, sense of justice, simplicity, modesty and solidarity legitimately made him deserving of the respect, admiration and affection of those of us who had the privilege of counting ourselves among his students, colleagues and/or friends.

Recognition
He has numerous recognitions for academic merit, services and contribution to the development of Public Health and Higher Education, with the following standing out:

The Specialist of Second Degree in Obstetrics and Gynecology and Specialist of Second Degree in Health Administration, Consulting Professor and Professor of Merit Juan Manuel Diego Cobelo received recognitions, though still insufficient, for his valuable contributions, among which stand out:

- Distinction "For Cuban Education".
- Medal "Commander Manuel Fajardo".
- Distinction "Rafael María de Mendive".
- Medal XXX Anniversary of the defeat of fascism awarded by Karl Marx University of Leipzig.
- Recognition as founder of MES on its XXX Anniversary
- Medal "José Tey".
- Order "Frank País".
- Internationalist Worker Medal.
- Recognition by the Minister of Health for 50 years of contribution to the development of Public Health.
- Medal of the Centennial of the founding of the Ministry of Public Health of Cuba
- Honorary Member of the Cuban Society of Public Health, since 2014.
- Medal XX Anniversary of the Moncada
- Medals for the XX, XXX, XL, L and LX Anniversary of the Revolutionary Armed Forces.