Dominican Republic closes 2025 with zero dengue deaths and a historic reduction in cases

Santo Domingo, RD. – The year 2025 concludes in the Dominican Republic with a positive balance in public health, registering zero deaths from dengue, as a result of the preventive and educational actions developed by the Ministry of Health throughout the national territory.

For the first time in a year, the country reports no deaths associated with this disease, which has allowed the Dominican Republic to be recognized as a regional benchmark in the control of dengue. According to the epidemiological bulletin corresponding to epidemiological week number 50, issued by the Epidemiology Department, in the last four weeks 34 cases of dengue were reported, while the accumulated total from EW-1 to EW-50 of the year 2025 amounts to 320 cases, with an incidence of 3.10, which shows a 76% reduction compared to the year 2024.

These advances were recognized by the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO), which highlighted the country as a regional leader in the management of dengue fever, especially during 2024, in a regional context of increasing disease. Health Minister Víctor Atallah pointed out that the reduction of more than 85% of dengue cases nationwide responds to the impact of sustained strategies of epidemiological surveillance, vector control, and community education. The Minister of Health indicated that the achievements in the fight against dengue are the result of the coordinated work of the "Let's Beat Dengue" campaign, under the slogan "Eliminate, clean and cover", together with the Provincial Directorates and Health Areas (DPS/DAS), other State institutions and the active participation of the communities, strengthening the joint commitment to guarantee the well-being of the population. "The participation of all sectors involved demonstrated that prevention is a fundamental axis to protect the population. Health and education are national causes and it is a commitment of all to work on the prevention of diseases," he indicated. As part of the campaign, educational sessions, community operations to eliminate breeding sites, targeted fumigations, removal of discarded items, distribution of informational materials, delivery of abate (larvicide), and ongoing guidance to the population were carried out throughout the year, with the aim of keeping the disease under control. You can also read: Among the complementary initiatives, the National Plan for the Prevention and Control of Dengue stands out, developed with the support of PAHO and focused on social interventions, as well as the "Anti-Dengue Family" strategy, developed in coordination with the Ministry of Education and PAHO, which trains students and teachers to multiply preventive actions in their communities. In relation to other diseases transmitted by the Aedes aegypti mosquito, such as chikungunya and Zika, the country also closed the year 2025 without registering deaths associated with these events. Given the regional alert registered, the Ministry of Health immediately activated all established protocols, strengthening epidemiological surveillance, vector control, and preventive actions, including the reinforcement of surveillance at the country's entry points. The Ministry of Health reiterated the call to the population to maintain preventive measures in homes and communities, as prevention continues to be the main tool to keep these diseases under control, highlighting that the fight against vector-borne diseases requires the joint commitment between authorities and citizens.