Background: Bioethics teaching has traditionally focused on classroom activities, but there is a widely recognized need for professional development opportunities for people with active scientific, clinical or administrative duties. Aim: To evaluate an ethics programs and curricula. Material and methods: A cross-sectional study, we surveyed hygiene, epidemiology and microbiology professionals who attended seven ethics courses in Matanzas province, Cuba. The curriculum consisted of two main themes: research ethics and public health ethics. The survey comprised pre- and post-test assessments and in-depth interviews of all participants 3 months after the end of each course. Results: Most attendees (i) appeared to demonstrate increased of knowledge in research and public health ethics, including international guidelines, (ii) gave positive assessments of the courses and (iii) affirmed the importance and pertinence of such training activities. Conclusions: This small study is suggestive of the kinds of professional development opportunities available in limited resource settings.