Estudio histórico en torno a la medicina social en Cuenca (1960-1990)

Abstract

The study of social medicine in Cuenca between 1960 and 1990 highlights a transformative approach, integrating social sciences as an essential pillar in health. This research examines the historical process of social medicine through key events such as the “Reunión Cuenca I” in 1972, and later, the “Reunión Cuenca II” in 1983, which promoted a broad perspective by considering social, political and economic contexts in medical training, enriching social medicine. Using a qualitative methodology, the study analyzes bibliographic sources and interviews with health and social science professionals to rescue this little-studied legacy in Cuenca. During this period, the Faculty of Medical Sciences of the University of Cuenca played an important role. Despite periods of educational fragmentation, it integrated inclusive and social approaches in medicine, culminating in the Cuenca Meetings I and II, which consolidated an educational model focused on the social aspects of health. This study therefore examines how these changes reflected a response to local needs, promoting health as a fundamental human right at an international level. Not to mention that the educational reforms of the time paved the way for new generations of physicians with a multidisciplinary vision of health, prioritizing equity and community well- being. This research reveals that the changes implemented as a result of the Cuenca I and II Meetings responded to the needs of the community, promoting health from different approaches, and facilitating the training of physicians who prioritized equity and community well- being.