Resumo:
Cuba was considered a successful experience in facing the COVID-19 pandemic due to several aspects, such as the existence of a coping plan with integrated actions to strengthen Primary Health Care and articulation of society with the government. In the municipality of Puerto Padre, Las Tunas province, Cuba, the articulation between Primary Health Care, community governance and university extension proved to be a central strategy to face the health crisis. The objective of this research was to analyze this integration in coping with the COVID-19 pandemic between 2020 and 2022. The experience of the Cuban municipality is analyzed through a qualitative and descriptive approach, which involved the application of electronic forms to community representatives, Primary Health Care professionals, students and professors of the
Medical Sciences campus of Puerto Padre. The results are presented in two articles. The first showed that the integration between Primary Health Care, the active participation of the community and intersectoral collaboration played a key role in the municipality's response to COVID-19, demonstrating the effectiveness of a health model based on solidarity and popular participation. In the second, university extension, envolving the work of students and professors in the municipality, played an essential role in epidemiological surveillance, in the promotion of health and education of the population. In general, this study highlights the relevance of Primary Health Care as the basis of a resilient health system prepared for future health crises, being a lesson that can be learned by other countries.
