Dominican Republic boosts dengue fight as cases rise slightly

The Dominican Republic's Ministry of Health has relaunched its "Ganémosle al Dengue" campaign as the country records a slight uptick in dengue cases — 171 confirmed cases so far in 2026 compared to 155 in the same period of 2025 Source: Diario Libre, Listín Diario. The campaign, under the motto "Elimina, limpia y tapa," has already reached over 1.1 million people across more than 6,000 neighborhoods and inspected 502,228 homes Source: El Caribe, Hoy.

Campaign scope and results

Brigades have conducted 17,047 fumigations, eliminated 61,295 mosquito breeding sites, and distributed 31,835 bottles of chlorine and 4,176 mosquito nets Source: El Día. A critical finding: 44,057 of 482,159 inspected water tanks tested positive for Aedes aegypti larvae Source: Hoy, Diario Libre. Health Minister Víctor Atallah noted that 80% of cases originate within or near homes Source: Listín Diario. The country achieved zero dengue deaths in 2025, a historic milestone, though Atallah warned that 2026 could see an increase due to climate factors Source: El Día.

Regional vaccine push

Meanwhile, the Pan American Health Organization (OPS) and Takeda have signed an agreement to facilitate access to dengue vaccines across Latin America and the Caribbean through the OPS Revolving Fund Source: Infobae. This mechanism aims to enable equitable vaccine distribution, with countries defining their own priority groups. The OPS representative in the Dominican Republic, Bernardino Vitoy, stressed that climate phenomena like El Niño heighten transmission risk Source: El Día, Diario Libre.

Medical warnings

Dr. Eladio Pérez, Vice Minister of Collective Health, urged early medical consultation if fever persists beyond 24 hours, warning that delayed care increases complication risks, especially for those who have had dengue before Source: Hoy. He cautioned against using aspirin and recommended only acetaminophen due to bleeding risks Source: Hoy.