Víctor Atallah presents achievements in health and outlines a path to transform the Dominican healthcare system

Santo Domingo.– The Minister of Public Health, Víctor Atallah, presented this Saturday the institutional advances achieved between 2024 and 2025, highlighting a historic reduction in dengue cases, with no deaths recorded so far this year, and announcing a roadmap to continue the transformation of the national health system.

During his presentation, Atallah detailed that the implemented policies have strengthened the Ministry's leadership, improved primary care, and modernized the processes of surveillance and emergency response.

“We are building a stronger, more modern, and humane Ministry. Everything we do has a clear objective: to protect and improve the lives of people in every community in the country,” he expressed.

Among the most significant results, the decrease in dengue stood out: up to week 27 of 2025, only 143 cases and no deaths have been recorded, representing a reduction of over 85% compared to the same period in 2024. This achievement, he explained, is the result of an integral approach that includes vector control, epidemiological surveillance, and sustained preventive actions. In terms of cardiovascular prevention, the minister highlighted the expansion of the program “More Health and Hope for Life”, implemented in 58% of primary care centers under the PAHO/WHO HEARTS strategy. More than 282,000 patients over 45 years of age have benefited, with 66% effective control of blood pressure, which positions the Dominican Republic as a regional benchmark in the fight against chronic diseases. It was also reported that more than 7.4 million vaccines from the basic scheme have been administered throughout the country, benefiting more than 4 million people, especially in vulnerable communities. Regarding the response capacity in emergencies, Atallah highlighted the remodeling of the National Institute of Forensic Pathology and the international certification of the first Emergency Medical Team (EMT Type 1) in the country, endorsed by PAHO and WHO. Another significant advancement was the implementation of the National Digital Health Strategy 2024–2028, which has modernized key processes such as the exequatur system, service enablement, and the epidemiological surveillance system SINAVE, now with greater security and efficiency. Finally, the minister announced that all these efforts are contained in the 2025–2028 Philosophical and Strategic Framework, which guides the transformation of the health system with an emphasis on equity, innovation, quality, and continuous improvement. In recognition of these advances, the Dominican Republic has received international awards for its excellence in public health, including the WHL Organizational Excellence Award 2025 and the title of Champion Country in the Prevention of Non-Communicable Diseases, awarded by PAHO and WHO. The day concluded with an act of recognition of institutional excellence, as part of the Government's commitment to guarantee efficient, accessible, and quality public health for the entire population.