The resolution notes that over one million people contract an STD daily, with a majority being asymptomatic. Annually, approximately 374 million people contract curable STDs, including chlamydiasis, gonorrhea, syphilis, and trichomoniasis.

The proposed program, to be implemented in the region, including the Dominican Republic, is to be based on a public health and human rights approach. It aims to employ innovative strategies for education, health promotion, research, prevention, training, detection, epidemiological surveillance, and comprehensive care for STDs.

The resolution recommends that the Council of Ministers of Health of Central America and the Dominican Republic adopt common and specific measures for managing these diseases, supported by actions from the World Health Organization (WHO).

Health coverage is emphasized in the resolution, ensuring protection against financial risks and better access to quality essential health services. The expansion of vaccination programs against human papillomaviruses and hepatitis B is also encouraged, along with operational research for introducing new vaccines.

The resolution guides the health sector in applying strategic responses to control STDs, considering the epidemiological context and technological advances. It suggests promoting education and awareness campaigns in various sectors, focusing on vulnerable populations such as women, adolescents, sex workers, people with multiple partners, prisoners, children living on the streets, and drug users.

In addition, the initiative recommends fostering learning in all areas of these diseases and capitalizing on innovations and new knowledge for a more effective response to STDs. Education and awareness campaigns are also suggested for the general population, educational centers, primary health care centers, clubs, worker associations, media, churches, neighborhood associations, and other influential groups in society.

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Santo Domingo.- The Ministry of Education in the Dominican Republic (Minerd) has unveiled its ambitious plan to extend the School Health Program to encompass all educational institutions across the nation by 2024. This strategic move aims to instill a culture of disease prevention and foster healthy eating habits among students.

The comprehensive initiative, designed for both the medium and long term, seeks to address various health challenges faced by children, adolescents, young people, and teachers. These challenges include combating rates of overweight and obesity, addressing malnutrition, ensuring immunizations for preventable diseases, prioritizing mental health, conducting health evaluations, and implementing preventive measures. The ultimate goal is to enhance educational achievements and positively impact the overall well-being of families.

The Ministry of Education is collaborating closely with the Ministries of Public Health and Social Assistance, Economy, Planning and Development, as well as the National Health Service, Essential Medicines Program, and Central Logistics Support (Promesecal). This collaboration aims to guarantee health within the educational community, reduce disruptions to learning, and promote a culture of self-care and a healthy lifestyle.

A noteworthy addition to the program is the involvement of the Dominican Medical College (CMD) and its president, Waldo Ariel Suero, reflecting a commitment to bringing healthcare closer to the school population. The program is set to incorporate medical care within schools, representing a significant enhancement to the School Health Program.

Numerous coordination meetings have taken place with various ministries and entities involved in the program. These meetings have resulted in coordinated actions, including vaccination campaigns, initiatives focused on hearing and dental health, and other measures aimed at benefiting students.

In 2023, Minerd, in collaboration with allied entities, initiated the pilot phase of the program at the Inmaculada Fe y Alegría School in Los Frailes II, part of Educational District 10-06. This pilot phase involved 1,014 students and 63 members of the teaching and administrative teams.

Furthermore, extensive training and awareness-raising efforts have been conducted for all stakeholders involved in a sample of 50 educational centers, representing 19,000 students across the seven health regions affiliated with the National Health Service of the Dominican Republic.

Santo Domingo.– In response to the epidemiological alert for measles, pediatric doctors and infectious disease experts are urging authorities to actively promote and extend the vaccination process to communities and schools.

Measles, a highly contagious viral disease, can be effectively prevented through vaccination. According to Waldo Ariel Suero, President of the Dominican Medical College (CMD), the vaccination rates experienced a significant decline during the pandemic.

Despite the country not recording measles cases for several years, experts emphasize the importance of early action to prevent a potential virus outbreak. They stress the need for public education and widespread vaccination to mitigate the risk of an epidemic.

Measles is an epidemiological disease requiring mandatory notification, primarily transmitted through respiratory droplets during coughing, talking, or sneezing. If symptoms such as fever, skin rashes, and swollen lymph nodes occur, seeking prompt medical attention at the nearest health center is recommended.

It’s worth noting that in 2023, the Ministry of Public Health in the Dominican Republic issued an epidemiological alert for measles following cases reported in several American countries, although no confirmed contagion occurred locally.

Santo Domingo.- The Minister of Public Health and Social Assistance, Víctor Atallah, held a meeting with the Minister of Public Administration, Darío Castillo Lugo, to oversee the ongoing work and reform initiatives within the health sector.

This meeting is a part of the broader General Plan for Reform and Modernization of the Public Administration (Reformap), established by President Luís Abinader through decree number 149-21. It aligns with decree 284-21, declaring the reform and modernization of the Public Administration as a matter of high national interest, specifically within the health sector.

The Minister of Public Administration highlighted the progress made through the “Thematic Health Roundtable,” a platform dedicated to diagnosing issues and formulating actions to enhance the Dominican health system. Notably, the implementation of the National Strategic Health Plan (PLANDES 2030) has been a key focus.

It was emphasized that the continuity of the sectoral technical table was reaffirmed, consisting of the Ministry of Public Health and Social Assistance (MISPAS), the Ministry of Economy, Planning and Development (MEPyD), the National Competitiveness Council (CNC), the Ministry of Finance, the General Budget Directorate (Digepres), and the Ministry of Public Administration. This platform serves as a coordination space for identifying, executing, and monitoring reform activities outlined in the governance pillar of PLANDES 2030.

The actions outlined in this initiative encompass sectoral strategic alignment, reinforcing steering functions, and governance. Additionally, budget allocations are being considered to review the sectoral salary scale and implement technological enhancements for more efficient management.

Guyana is considering the hiring of foreign nurses to man the several hospitals that are under construction, even as hundreds of local nurses continue to migrate mainly to the United Kingdom (UK), a top government official said Wednesday. “Soon we may have to bring in nurses to work in the country- because, once those hospitals ...

The United States (US) on Wednesday donated 1,000 doses of Paxlovid, an oral pill that is used to treat COVID-19 patients with a high risk of severe illness or death, to Guyana, the embassy here said. The embassy said that medication complements a separate donation of 354,660 Pfizer vaccine doses. Speaking at the handover of ...

Santo Domingo.- The National Health Service (SNS) has announced that approximately 172 health centers within the Public Network are now offering new services, marking a historic development for these facilities. The expanded services include tomography scans, mammograms, newly equipped laboratories, dental units, and programs such as Early Detection for Hearing Deficits, Hypothermia Therapy, and Neonatal Intensive Care Units.

According to the SNS, the introduction of these services, many of which are implemented for the first time in various health centers and some for the first time in the Public Network, is part of a comprehensive strengthening initiative for over 192 hospitals and First Level Centers. This initiative involves an investment of nearly two billion pesos in state-of-the-art equipment, along with renovations and the recruitment of new personnel.

As of 2023, twelve hospitals now provide cutting-edge CT scans, with nine of them having this modern equipment for the first time. These hospitals include Vinicio Calventi, Toribio Bencosme, Padre Billini, Luis Morillo King, Taiwan March 19, Mario Tolentino Dipp, San Bartolomé, Estrella Ureña, and Municipal de Verón hospitals.

Additionally, the Morillo King Hospital in La Vega now offers mammography services for the first time. Margarita Paulino, the center’s director, expressed gratitude for these new facilities, especially benefiting economically disadvantaged patients who can now access these services within the hospital.

Moreover, hospitals like Santo Socorro, Moscoso Puello, Evangelina Rodríguez, and Estrella Ureña have acquired a mammogram for the first time. The Luis L. Bogaert Hospital has introduced echocardiogram services for the first time.

The expansion also includes the inauguration of new laboratory services in 16 health centers, eight hospitals, and eight Diagnostic Centers across various regions, contributing to the record figure of almost 25 million tests conducted last year in the Public Health Network.

Under the current SNS management, five Neonatal Intensive Care Units have been inaugurated for the first time at Ciudad Juan Bosch, Pedro E. de Marchena, Nuestra Señora de Regla, Inmaculada Concepción, and José Francisco Peña Gómez hospitals. These units have played a crucial role in the survival of more than three thousand newborns.

Innovative services such as Hypothermia Therapy and Early Detection of Hearing Deficit are now being implemented for the first time in the Public Health Network. Hypothermia Therapy is available at the Reynaldo Almánzar and San Lorenzo de Los Mina hospitals, achieving remarkable success in just seven months by liberating ten children from cerebral palsy. The Hearing Deficit program, initiated under the “Uniendo Voluntades” initiative led by the First Lady Raquel Arbaje since October 2022, has screened 27,944 patients. This program operates in hospitals such as Reynaldo Almánzar, Hugo Mendoza, Robert Reid, San Lorenzo de Los Mina, Arturo Grullón, Presidente Estrella Ureña, Marcelino Vélez, and Nuestra Señora de La Altagracia in Higüey.

The whole genome sequencing data from a wide range of Americans aims to address the historical lack of diversity in existing genomic datasets by focusing on previously under-represented groups. The U.S. National Institutes of Health-funded "All of Us" study turned up 1 billion genetic variants in total.

"Sequencing diverse populations can lead to new drug targets that are relevant to everyone," said Dr. Josh Denny, a study author and its chief executive. "It can also help uncover disparities that lead to specific treatments for people that are experiencing higher burdens of disease or different disease."

NEW STUDY FINDS DYSLEXIA IS LINKED TO 42 GENETIC VARIANTS

Although many genetic variants have no impact on health, nearly 4 million of the newly discovered differences in the genetic code are located in areas that may be tied to disease risk, the researchers reported in a series of papers published in Nature and related journals.

"This is huge," said Denny. The study aims to eventually collect DNA and other health data on 1 million people in hopes of better understanding genetic influences on health and disease.

Nearly 90% of genomic studies to date have been done in people of European ancestry, which has led to a narrow understanding of the biology of diseases and slowed the development of drugs and prevention strategies effective in diverse populations, the leaders of several NIH departments wrote in a related commentary.

"It's a huge gap, obviously, because most of the world's population is not of European ancestry," Denny said.

Recent studies have already shown how genetic diversity can impact disease risk. Variants in the APOL1 gene discovered in 2010 help account for 70% of the increased risk for chronic kidney disease and dialysis seen in people in the U.S. with sub-Saharan African ancestry.

Likewise, a class of drugs called PCSK9 inhibitors that dramatically lower very high levels of low-density lipoprotein (LDL) - the so-called bad cholesterol - were discovered by sequencing the genetic code of 5,000 people in Dallas of African ancestry.

Much more work is needed to understand how the new trove of genetic variants contributes to various health conditions, but the scientists believe they could be used to refine tools used to calculate a person's risk for disease.

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