Health Minister highlights Dominican efforts to strengthen HIV response at UN Meeting

New York.- The Dominican Republic reaffirmed its commitment to a sustainable, integrated, and people-centered response to HIV during the United Nations High-Level Meeting on HIV/AIDS held at UN Headquarters in New York. Speaking at the 90th Plenary Session, Health Minister Víctor Atallah acknowledged that while significant global progress has been made in combating HIV/AIDS, the 2025 targets were not fully achieved, underscoring the need to address persistent challenges.

Atallah highlighted ongoing obstacles, including reduced international funding, inequalities in access to quality healthcare services, and the continued impact of stigma and discrimination. He stressed the importance of recognizing both the advances made and the gaps that remain in order to build a more equitable and sustainable response.

The minister outlined the country’s national HIV strategy, which focuses on three key priorities: eliminating mother-to-child transmission of HIV, syphilis, and hepatitis B; integrating HIV services into primary healthcare and expanding universal health coverage; and closing gaps in the care continuum to improve patient retention and viral suppression. He also reaffirmed the Dominican Republic’s commitment to achieving the international 95-95-95 targets, aimed at ensuring that most people living with HIV know their status, receive treatment, and achieve viral suppression.