Santo Domingo.- In a collaborative effort to tackle the escalating challenges of climate change, the U.S. Embassy in the Dominican Republic, alongside the Dominican Institute of Meteorology (INDOMET), launched an innovative project today as part of the Climate Action Program 2030 (PACC). This initiative is designed to enhance the nation’s ability to respond to the adverse effects of climate change through cutting-edge technology and specialized training.

During a special visit to INDOMET headquarters, Executive Director Gloria María Ceballos and U.S. Embassy representatives launched a weather balloon equipped with advanced instruments to gather crucial atmospheric data. The balloon will measure atmospheric pressure, temperature, and humidity, playing a key role in improving the accuracy of climate predictions and responses to extreme weather events.

“This collaboration demonstrates the United States’ commitment to supporting the Dominican Republic in its fight against climate change,” said a U.S. Embassy representative at the event. “By enhancing INDOMET’s capacity to monitor and predict climate events, we are helping to protect the country’s most vulnerable communities.”

The 2030 Climate Action Program (PACC) aims to promote concrete actions for climate change adaptation and mitigation in the Dominican Republic, ensuring a safer and more sustainable future for all its citizens.

Source: RC Noticias

Santo Domingo, DR – President Luis Abinader said today that the Dominican Republic has reduced malnourishment by 45% in terms of food, according to data from the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO).

The president assured that the country has managed to reduce the percentage of the undernourished population from 8.3% in the 2018-2020 period to 4.6% in the 2021-2023 period.

After highlighting other advances, Abinader pointed out that employment today registers a record number of active workers in the labor market and that unemployment has been reduced to 5% during the last three years.

The president said that the average minimum wage has grown 14% above inflation, thus improving the purchasing power of Dominican workers.

“It is no coincidence, therefore, that the Dominican Republic is today in the category of High Human Development in the United Nations index, and that in recent years we are one of the few countries in the world that have climbed positions,” he said when he was sworn in for a new presidential term.

He said that in 3, the Dominican Republic’s GDP per capita reached US$11,200, “consolidating us as a middle-income economy.”

AGRICULTURE WILL BE A PRIORITY

Regarding agriculture, the president stressed that the goal is full development and support and that strengthening the agricultural sector will continue to be a priority of the government.

He indicated that the agricultural policy he has implemented has been fundamental to guaranteeing the country’s food security and maintaining producers’ profitability.

He pointed out that according to the United States Department of Agriculture, for the first time, in the current year 2024, the country will exceed US$1,800 million in exports of agricultural goods to that country, including beef, whose market has been reopened after being closed for more than 20 years.

However, he specified: “I am aware that the impact of extreme atmospheric phenomena on our agriculture as a result of Climate Change, forces us to dedicate more and more resources to the development of infrastructures and technologies that contribute to strengthening the resilience that our agricultural sector has shown to have and increase the efficiency and productivity of the resources we dedicate to it.”

He maintained that financing has been a critical piece of agricultural policy in his administration.

He added that the credit program with rates and conditions adapted to agriculture has made it possible to position agriculture as one of the economic activities that attracts the most investment and development in the country and that this new government will continue to strengthen credit and channel the resources required to guarantee the profitability and sustainability of agriculture.

Santo Domingo—The government informed that, through the Ministry of Public Health and the National Health Service (SNS), it provides treatments and vaccines against hepatitis B, especially to pregnant women and newborns, to prevent and eliminate this virus and have a healthier population.

A note expresses that the processes carried out to eliminate the disease and meet the 2030 objectives were presented at a day of awareness and update to obstetricians and gynecologists on compliance with protocols to detect and treat it in pregnant women and newborns, organized by the Ministry of Public Health.

It indicates that it coordinated with the Dominican Society of Obstetrics and Gynecology and the SNS, with support from the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO).

The director of Immunoprevenibles by Vaccines of the Ministry of Health, Dr. Aida Lucia Vargas, highlighted that the Government invests around RD$1,000 million in the acquisition of vaccines, including hepatitis B, as it is one of the main actions to prevent and eradicate this and other viruses.

Meanwhile, the person in charge of Epidemiological Surveillance of Immunopreventable Diseases, Dr. Suhaill Romero, indicated that the Ministry of Health provides medical centers with the Anti-B Immunoglobulin, which must be applied to newborns of mothers with hepatitis B. In this sense, she recommended physicians carry out the application process before the delivery of pregnant women with this virus.

Romero presented to physicians the application process through the 40 Provincial Health Directorates and invited them to report pregnant women with hepatitis B in the (Sinave), for greater control and monitoring of cases.

Authorities insist on vigilance.

Santo Domingo.-  In a commitment to enhance mental health services and improve quality of life, Minister of Health Víctor Atallah, in coordination with First Lady Raquel Arbaje, announced the extended operating hours of the “Cuida tu Salud Mental” Contact Center.

Starting September 1, the center will be open from 8 AM to midnight, including weekends, to provide greater support for those in need. To support this expansion, additional healthcare staff will be hired to ensure the availability of more professionals offering psychological counseling and support.

The center can be reached at 809-200-1400 for consultations with trained behavioral health specialists. This initiative aims to improve access to mental health services nationwide.

Minister Atallah reaffirmed his commitment to transforming mental health services during a visit to the Padre Billini Psychosocial Rehabilitation Center and meetings with the Society of Psychiatry and the Dominican College of Psychologists.

The Ministry of Health is also updating protocols for managing depressive disorders in adults, substance use in children and adolescents, and autism spectrum disorders (ASD) in minors. Technical committees composed of various institutions and specialists are overseeing these updates.

Additionally, efforts are underway to update the National Mental Health Plan and Mental Health Law 12-06, with support from the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) and other institutions, ensuring policies align with international best practices and local needs.

Strategic guidelines for suicide prevention are being developed, reviewed by technical committees and specialized consultancies, and will be implemented through decentralized units, including provincial, municipal, and health area offices.

The Ministry is also preparing a mental health bulletin and a study to characterize homeless individuals, aiming to provide updated information for decision-making and the implementation of appropriate intervention strategies.

Santo Domingo – The Epidemiological Surveillance System (SINAVE) reports that as of week 27, 8,484 dengue cases had been registered, and nine deaths had been reported.

However, it states that as of week 27, only 941 cases and nine deaths have been confirmed in the Dominican Republic.

The provinces with the highest incidence of cases are Santiago (255), Puerto Plata (133), and Duarte (99). The official data for cases can be verified.

The most affected sex is males between the ages of 10 and 19. Six cases were reported last week.

Dengue is transmitted through the bite of an infected mosquito. It is a disease that affects people of all ages, with symptoms ranging from a mild fever to an incapacitating fever, accompanied by intense headache, pain behind the eyes, muscle and joint pain, and erythema.

Malaria
The total number of suspected malaria cases under investigation is 28,007.

Malaria is an acute febrile illness caused by parasites of the Plasmodium genus that are spread to people through the bite of mosquitoes of the Anopheles genus. It is a preventable and curable disease. According to Epidemiology, it is not contagious and cannot be transmitted from one person to another. National data establish that for week 27 of this year -2024, 618 suspected malaria cases were reported, of which 9 cases were confirmed, eight male and one female, within the age group of 10 to 19 years old. These cases correspond to the active outbreaks in the provinces of San Juan, with eight cases, and Azua, with one case.

Covid-19 cases
In the last week, 159 cases of COVID-19 were reported, and as of week 27, 636 cases have been confirmed.

Leptospirosis
In the Dominican Republic, up to week 27, 323 probable cases of leptospirosis were reported; this represents an increase of 318% in the variation of the rate compared to 2023, when it was 154%.

The provinces with the highest incidence are Santo Domingo (55), Monte Cristi (43), Santiago (28) and Distrito Nacional with 15 cases.

The most affected sex is male, within the age group of 20 to 29 years old.

The Epidemiology Department keeps up to date with its weekly bulletins.

Santo Domingo – During one week, week 28, the Epidemiological Surveillance System recorded three maternal deaths from three provinces. Their ages ranged from 21 to 29 years old.

Nine deaths remain from dengue. The system indicates that as of the 28th epidemiological week of the year 2024, 135 suspected cases and 16 confirmed cases have been registered. Dengue is a disease transmitted by the bite of the Aedes aegypti mosquito. It is notifiable.

Maternal mortality
The three maternal deaths came from the Peravia, Espaillat, and Monte Cristi provinces.

The health centers that reported cases were Maternidad Nuestra Señora La Altagracia, Centro Médico Guadalupe, and Clínica Unión Médica del Norte.

Sixty-seven percent or two out of three cases reported this epidemiological week, are of Dominican nationality.

The accumulated number of maternal deaths up to week 28 is 88 deaths, involving women between 17 and 44 years of age who resided in the Metropolitan region with 34 deaths, North Cibao, 15, East 15, Valdesia, eight, El Valle, five, Enriquillo, three, Northeast Cibao, three, Western Cibao, three and Central Cibao, two.

Of the 88 deaths reported, 45%, or 40 out of the 88 deaths, were Haitian women in labor.

Concern
Maternal and neonatal mortality remains a major concern, with many preventable deaths that have not decreased significantly in recent years. The World Health Organization stresses the importance of adequate maternal care for short- and long-term well-being. Although there has been progress, challenges persist.

Dengue fever
To date, 8,602 suspected cases of dengue have been reported.

The last week, 13.3%, or 18 of the 135 cases reported in the last week are concentrated in Hermanas Mirabal, 12.6%, or 17 of 135 in Duarte province and 10.4%, involving 14 of 135) in Santiago province. The cumulative incidence is 17.05 per 100,000 inhabitants, the province with the highest cumulative incidence is Hermanas Mirabal with 655.16 suspected cases per 100,000 inhabitants. A total of 8,602 suspected cases of febrile illness have been reported. Of the total number of suspected cases. Fifty-three percent of the suspected cases (4,523 out of 8,602) were male and affected the 10-19-year-old age group.

A total of 83.2% of the cases received care in a health facility, with 54% showing alarm signs and 45% without. Up to week 28, 4,475 dengue tests have been processed at the National Public Health Reference Laboratory.

This is a communicable disease indicator that is monitored by the authorities. Notification is mandatory.

Santo Domingo.- Foreign Minister Roberto Álvarez assured that anthrax, which has raised health concerns in Haiti, remains under control in the Dominican Republic. He confirmed that no cases of the bacteria have been reported entering the country as of now.

Before attending a session with Attorney General Miriam Germán, Álvarez stated that the Ministries of Health and Defense are overseeing all entry points to prevent the bacteria from crossing into Dominican territory.

On a different note, the Foreign Minister expressed optimism about the new Haitian government led by Garry Conille. He praised Conille’s extensive experience and the skilled team he has assembled to manage the Haitian State.

Regarding the Kenyan-led peacekeeping mission, Álvarez noted that Kenyan troops are now patrolling alongside Haitian police, and results from these efforts are expected soon.

Houston-Sydney-Massachusetts – Extreme heat can increase the danger of heat-related illnesses and, more subtly, threaten health by amplifying the side effects of many common medications.

Heat can also damage medications such as insulin, which requires refrigeration. Inhalers can explode. Epinephrine injectors, such as EpiPens, can malfunction. Medications that are shipped through the mail can deteriorate.

A look at common problems and solutions related to heat and medicine:

What medications could cause problems with heat?

Blood pressure pills that reduce fluid in the blood can cause dehydration. Beta-blockers for heart conditions can reduce blood flow to the skin and make you less aware of dangerous heat.

Some antidepressants can make it harder to stay calm. Aspirin and other over-the-counter pain relievers reduce fluid and sodium levels, making it difficult to manage high temperatures.

In addition, the combination of heat and medication side effects can lead to dizziness and falls. Alcohol increases the danger, said pharmacist Bradley Phillips of the University of Florida College of Pharmacy.

Learn more about your medications’ side effects and storage requirements at the National Library of Medicine’s MedlinePlus website.

Phillips said you can also check with your doctor or pharmacist. Ask how much water you should drink if you take medications that increase dehydration.

He recommends staying hydrated and “not relying on your body’s ability to tell you that you’re thirsty.”

Some medications (antibiotics, antifungals, and acne) can increase sun sensitivity, leading to rashes and burns. If you’re taking them, stay under an umbrella or wear sun-protective clothes and sunscreen, said Dr. Mike Ren, a family physician at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston.

“You may be on antibiotics, not think too much of it, go to the beach and then come back with a huge sunburn,” Ren said.

How should travel medications be stored?

Generally, medications should be kept in a cool, dry place unless they need refrigeration, which can be tricky when traveling.

Before a summer road trip, check labels for storage requirements for your medications. Carry medications in a cooler when traveling by car, even if they do not require refrigeration. The trunk or glove compartment of the car may become too hot to store them, even at room temperature.

Traveling by plane? It is always best to carry medications in carry-on luggage if checked luggage is delayed or lost, and it may be too cold in the cargo hold.

What about mailed prescriptions?

Mail-order pharmacies are responsible for keeping medications at safe temperatures during storage and transport. The best practice is to ship sensitive medications in special containers with ice packs and temperature monitors.

But that doesn’t always happen. Or delivery can come at a bad time, said Ren, who recently helped his vacationing mother by bringing her shipment of supplements to her Houston home as the region faced sweltering heat.

“If you know you’re going to be at work all day or if you’re on vacation and you’re having medications delivered to your home, you definitely don’t want them outside in the scorching 38-degree sun,” Ren said. If you think the heat has damaged your mail-order medication, call the pharmacy to report the problem.

Is more research needed?

Yes. Researchers in the U.S. and Australia say some of the usual warnings about heat and medications don’t have much scientific evidence to back them up. Ollie Jay of the University of Sydney found support for only four of the 11 categories of medications that the World Health Organization lists as of concern in relation to intense heat.

He suggests changing behaviors, not medications, such as not exposing oneself to heat. “You have to be a little more cautious,” he said.

Dr. Renee Salas, an emergency physician at Massachusetts General Hospital, said that as climate change accelerates, there is a need to know which medications are the most risky in the heat.

“We don’t have that answer yet, and it’s one we need to figure out quickly. Some medications (antibiotics, antifungal and acne medications) can increase sensitivity to the sun, leading to rashes and burns.ente,” Salas said.

Dengue is becoming a severe problem in Latin America and the Caribbean, warned the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO).

However, thanks to the biological modification of the mosquitoes that transmit this disease, the World Mosquito Program is managing to reduce cases by leaps and bounds in some regions of the world.

After years of hard work, the World Mosquito Program reduced dengue cases by 95% in the Antioquia region of Colombia.

How? By breeding and later releasing mosquitoes born with the Wolbachia bacterium, which “prevents transmission” of this tropical endemic disease, which causes headaches, vomiting, and, in some cases, even death.

Despite these promising results, PAHO warns that Latin America and the Caribbean will experience their “worst dengue season” this year, with some 9.3 million cases and at least 4,500 deaths between January and June due to climate change, lack of water services, and overpopulation.

Nelson Grisales, responsible for this project in Medellín, explains that the first step to solving the problem is to raise awareness among governments:

When they begin to understand and accept biological control methods, particularly this one, which is a natural method without manipulation, governments will start to require them. That willingness to understand takes time for something revolutionary, but we are on the right track.

Another factor preventing the implementation of this prevention system is the lack of resources to adopt it in tropical and subtropical developing countries.

“We all know that the resources available for public health and diseases such as dengue, which are not necessarily very lethal, are neglected diseases,” said Morales, who assured that these nations do not have much budget to be able to control them.

For this reason, the specialist stressed the importance of “international cooperation and donors” to support government work and allocate or reallocate some resources.

THE RISK OF DISINFORMATION
Finally, the expert points to misinformation hindering program integration in some regions. For example, in September last year, a handful of people protested in front of his laboratory, arguing that Bill Gates, one of the project’s funders, releases chips through mosquitoes to control minds.

“information, at the moment, is a problem at the public health level: the anti-vaccine, anti-medicine, anti-medicine campaigns, in general terms, are huge and affect all countries,” he said. In his opinion, this generates a “mistaken understanding” of many factors, which can lead to disinformation campaigns with a mistaken narrative, however intuitive or normal they may be.

All these obstacles may delay the project’s implementation in some countries, but experts are convinced that the World Mosquito Program will soon become a public health measure. He assures that its mission will not end until dengue fever is eradicated.

Santo Domingo – Nearly 80% of the patients who arrive at an emergency room are emergency cases. This highlights the need to educate the population about the difference between emergency rooms and urgencies so that they know where to go in the event of a medical eventuality, said Dr. Josué Hernández, medical director of Médico Express.

Urgency can be any health condition that requires quick medical assistance but does not put a patient’s life at risk. Examples include migraines, back pain, ear pain, fever, mild trauma, and viral or allergic processes.

An emergency is when a person has a life-threatening situation requires immediate attention. These almost always require hospitalization or intensive care, for example, chest pain, loss of consciousness, convulsions, profuse bleeding, and polytrauma, among others, added Hernandez.

People who attend Médico Express will be able to have most of their health conditions and situations treated from the point of view of urgency, consultation, diagnosis, and even outpatient surgeries.

The emergency medicine specialist emphasized, “We do not perform hospitalizations; our rooms are emergency rooms. It is important that the citizens know these differences and scope.” Educating and orienting the patient benefits the system.