Dominican Republic reports 82% drop in malaria cases in Azua province

Health Minister Víctor Atallah toured the provincial health directorates of Azua and Peravia, highlighting a sustained decline in malaria transmission. In Azua, 65 cases were recorded between epidemiological weeks 1‑28 of this year, down from 369 in the same period of 2025 – an 82% reduction. The decline is attributed to strengthened epidemiological surveillance, active case finding, timely diagnosis (22,785 tests performed), and targeted vector‑control interventions across a network of 64 facilities staffed by 53 dedicated collaborators.

Atallah also announced the appointment of 50 permanent health‑system staff members, part of a national effort to fill 1,000 positions and reinforce the public‑health workforce. In Peravia, Director Addy Sánchez reported that the provincial health directorate reached 30,694 people through educational campaigns and surveillance activities, and that the new Sinave reporting platform raised timely disease notifications from 80% in 2025 to 98% in 2026, while late reports fell from 16.5% to 1.7%.