Scientific Paradigms and Cuban Public Health – Official government website of the Cuban Ministry of Public Health

This November 17, we honor the memory of a professor’s professor whose dedication and dedication made him a model for science and Cuban public health: Ofilio Orestes Péráz Morli Dr. Orfilio Orestes Peláez Molina.

On the centenary of his birth, we pay tribute to the life and work of this outstanding Cuban ophthalmologist, whose 40 years of research and dedication brought the world the most effective treatments for retinitis pigmentosa. Retinitis pigmentosa is a degenerative disease of the retina that has previously resulted in blindness.

Thanks to the treatment conceived by Dr. Peláez Molina, 75% of patients currently treated have their disease progression preserved, and 16% of them have improved vision. Their innovative approach, which combines surgical procedures with intravenous ozone, vitamin supplements and electromagnetic therapy, has produced promising results.

In addition to his contributions to the field of retinitis pigmentosa, Dr. Peláez Molina has conducted important research in the areas of epidemiology of ocular trauma, treatment of hemorrhagic conjunctivitis in Cuba, and ocular burns and cauterization.

To commemorate his legacy, the Ophthalmology Department of the Salvador Allende Hospital, together with the institution’s Academy of Medical Sciences, established a Science Day to celebrate and pay tribute to the work of this outstanding scientist.

It was at the Salvador Allende Hospital that Dr. Peláez Molina conducted his main and longest phase of research to create a treatment for retinitis pigmentosa. In addition, he trained several generations of ophthalmologists and contributed to the emergence of the National Retinitis Pigmentosa Program with the decisive support of Fidel Castro.

In this centenary year, as a well-deserved tribute, the ophthalmology service of the Salvador Allende Hospital will be named after Dr. Orfilio Peláez Molina, Thus allowing his legacy and his valuable contribution to science and visual health to live on not only in Cuba, but also in the world.