Prominent Professor and Public Health Expert Juan Vela Valdés Passes Away

April 28, 2022

Medicine, public health and higher medical education have suffered a great loss with the death of prominent professor and public health expert DrC. Juan Vela Valdés, at the age of 77.

With a brilliant career, a man consistent with his times, Dr. Vela was born in La Habana, on November 7, 1945.

He was a "Conrado Benítez" Literacy Campaign Volunteer; responsible for student assistants and non-graduate instructors at the Faculty of Medical Sciences of the Universidad de La Habana; at the "Patricio Sierra Alta" Hospital in Maisí, former Baracoa Region in Oriente, at the tip of our green caiman's snout where he began his Rural Medical Service in 1968, served as physician and hospital director and later as Regional Director of Public Health of Baracoa and Guantánamo; Provincial Director of Public Health of Camagüey Province in 1972; Founding Rector of the Universidad de Camagüey, Vice-Minister of the Ministry of Higher Education, Rector of the Higher Institute of Medical Sciences of La Habana, Rector of the Universidad de La Habana and Minister of Higher Education, in addition to other important positions held throughout his life.

Interim President, first, of the Union of Universities of Latin America (UDUAL) and subsequently elected President of UDUAL; Honorary Professor of the Universidad Mayor de San Andrés, La Paz, Bolivia; Member of the Council of the United Nations University, President of the Organizing Committee of the First Integrated Conference "Latin American University and Population Health" in November 2000 - coinciding with the celebration of the Centennial of the Foundation of the School of Dentistry of the Universidad de La Habana-, Doctor Honoris Causa of St. Thomas University, Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States of America; Doctor Honoris Causa of the Universidad de Sinaloa in México, Doctor Honoris Causa of the Universidad de Camagüey, Cuba; Specialist of Second Degree in Organization and Administration of Public Health; since 2011 Dr. Vela Valdés served as Full Professor, Consultant Professor and Professor Emeritus at the National School of Public Health (ENSAP) of Cuba.

For his thesis to obtain his Doctorate in Health Sciences titled "Training of physicians for health services in Cuba: 1959-2014", a historical research of qualitative nature where the historical-logical method was used, Dr. Vela received in 2016 the National Academy Prize granted annually by the Academy of Sciences of Cuba for the most relevant results of Cuban scientific research during the year.

Throughout his life he received numerous recognitions, distinctions and medals, among which stand out:

Commemorative Medal "For Literacy".
Medal 40th Anniversary of the Triumph of the Revolution.
Medal XX Anniversary of the Assault on Moncada Barracks.
Medal "Ignacio Chávez" conferred by UNAM.
Distinction "For Cuban Education".
Distinction "Manuel Fajardo".
Annual Prize "Carlos J. Finlay" granted by the Scientific Council of the Faculty of Medical Sciences of Pinar del Río.
Prize for a Teacher granted by the University Student Federation.
Outstanding Figure of the State and Government.
Commemorative Plaque for the 485th Anniversary of the Villa of San Cristóbal de La Habana, granted by the Provincial Assembly of People's Power of Ciudad de la Habana.

But all these high honors obtained throughout his years of life, did not diminish in any way his modesty, his humility, his sense of duty, his prudence, his decency, his love for our land, his human qualities.

To speak of Vela will always be to speak of a person with an uncommon empathic power and a sense of the value of friendship, duty and solidarity worthy of imitation; will always be to remember the eternal public health expert, the man of integrity, the exemplary professor.