Ministry of Health enhances plans for pandemic and respiratory epidemic response

Santo Domingo.- The Ministry of Health, supported by the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) and other health sector partners, is enhancing the Dominican Republic’s ability to handle health emergencies, particularly those involving respiratory viruses.

To achieve this, the Ministry of Health, through its Epidemiology Department, conducted a workshop titled “Framework of National Programs for the Prevention and Control of Diseases Caused by Respiratory Viruses with Epidemic and Pandemic Potential.” The workshop involved collaboration with the National Health Service (SNS), the General Directorate of Livestock, and the General Directorate of Medicines, Food, and Health Products (Digemaps).

The workshop addressed the current status and gaps in the prevention and control of respiratory viruses, aiming to bolster surveillance, expand policy measures, strengthen epidemic response, and improve risk communication and community involvement. It sought to create a unified national strategy for managing influenza and other respiratory viruses with epidemic or pandemic potential.

Key health sector stakeholders, including the Association of Private Clinics (Andeclip), the Dominican Society of Pulmonology, USAID, Promese/Cal, and the National Public Health Laboratory Dr. Fernando A. Defilló, participated in the three-day training, which focused on technical cooperation and response strategies for respiratory diseases.