Spanish
Santo Domingo.- The Ministry of Public Health (MSP) reported this Thursday that 89 infant deaths have occurred, 20 of them in the last week, as well as four maternal deaths so far this year.
The organization reported that these figures show a reduction compared to last year, when 108 infant deaths had been reported by this date.
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The report confirmed a maternal death for this week, corresponding to a Dominican woman and a total of four deaths so far this year. In the year 2025, on the same date, 5 deaths were reported. The epidemiological bulletin indicated that dengue maintains a downward trend, with one confirmed case this week and a total of 13 accumulated cases so far this year. The incidence is placed at 2.04% per 100,000 inhabitants. While malaria also shows a downward trend, with the report of three cases this week and a cumulative total of 10 cases, the incidence is 1.57% compared to the year 2025 when it was at 14.03%. No cases of leptospirosis were reported this week, the total accumulated is two cases this year and an incidence of 0.31, for a 92 percent reduction in cases. Vaccine-preventable diseases remain at zero this week. Public Health highlighted, on the other hand, that it develops strategic actions with which it seeks to influence the reduction of cancer, this with the firm commitment to offer an effective and timely national response to oncological diseases. As the 'World Cancer Day' is commemorated on February 4th, the organization specified the improvements achieved through the High-Cost Medications Program, in which an investment of more than 7,300,000 pesos is made, of which 48% is allocated to patients with this disease. Similarly, he referred to preventive actions such as the vaccination of children and adolescents against the human papillomavirus (HPV), which contributes to the prevention of infections that cause various types of cancer such as cervical, vulva, vagina, penis, anus, throat and genital warts. HPV was administered only to girls between 9 and 14, and since 2025, the inclusion of males in the immunization was arranged. By the end of this February, Public Health arranged to include the nonavalent vaccine, which protects against 9 types of the human papillomavirus. The Ministry of Health drew attention to the importance of prevention and early detection of this disease, which annually registers an increase in its incidence worldwide. The Health organization reported that in the Dominican Republic between 2019 and 2025, a total of 7,329 cancer cases were registered, of which 4,873 corresponded to women (66.5%), compared to 2,456 cases in men (33.5%). The report is contained in the epidemiological bulletin of Week 03, which highlights that among the highest cases is breast cancer with 2,070, in that period, prostate cancer, which ranks second with 1,249 cases, cervical cancer, which registers 728 cases, colorectal cancer with 573 detected cases and Leukemia with 440 cases affecting both sexes. Furthermore, a significant burden was reported in lung cancer (317 cases) and gynecological cancers such as endometrial (197) and ovarian (84). In addition, they include others not specified with 673 cases.
