Cervical cancer is the target of a new pilot project launched by the Ministry of Health of the Dominican Republic, which seeks to incorporate Human Papillomavirus (HPV) testing as a screening method at the primary health care level.
The initiative, supported by the Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA) and with technical assistance from the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO), began in the provinces of Elías Piña and Dajabón.
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According to the Ministry of Health, the goal is to bring high-precision screening closer and strengthen the prevention of cervical cancer in communities with the greatest barriers to access.
According to the Ministry of Public Health, this plan is part of the project “Strengthening Primary Care in Maternal and Child Health in Dajabón and Elías Piña,” a strategy that seeks to lay the foundations for expanding the model to other regions of the country.
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The program began with a three-day training workshop aimed at clinical, epidemiological, statistical, and supervisory personnel from different levels of care, along with technicians and specialists from the PAHO/World Health Organization (WHO).
Tammy Santana, head of the Maternal and Child Program of the Ministry of Public Health, urged turning resources and knowledge into concrete actions. “Cervical cancer is the cancer of inequity and cannot cease to be a priority for us, the decision-makers. The training is aimed at preparing facilitators who will subsequently replicate the knowledge with the operational staff of their respective provinces,” stated Santana, as cited by the Ministry of Health.
New national strategy for the detection and prevention of cervical cancer
The incorporation of HPV testing represents a shift in the national strategy for cervical cancer screening. Martín Ortiz, Director of Maternal and Child Health at the National Health Service (SNS), assessed the new technology as an opportunity to change the course of the disease in the country. “The adoption of this test, of the change the country is making in cancer screening, is going to change the history of cancer in this country,” stated Ortiz in remarks collected by the Ministry.
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The training approach includes teaching thermal ablation practices, colposcopy with anatomical models, and the development of provincial operational plans focused on knowledge replication.
The interim representative of the PAHO, Bernardino Vitoy, highlighted that the strategy of training facilitators seeks to ensure that prevention and care services reach communities, provinces, and municipalities.
During the meeting, which is taking place from August 10 to 13, representatives from clinical, epidemiology, statistics, and supervision areas of both provinces are participating, as well as specialists from PAHO and WHO. The project includes screening, sample collection for HPV, triage, diagnosis, treatment, follow-up, registration in REDCap, monitoring, and evaluation, as detailed by the Ministry.
One of the central objectives of the plan is to facilitate access to the prevention, detection, and care of cervical cancer from the primary level of care, especially in border and hard-to-reach areas. The Ministry of Health emphasized that the training of facilitators will allow the model to be replicated in other provinces and advance toward the goal of eliminating cervical cancer as a public health problem by 2030, in line with the international commitments assumed by the Dominican Republic.
The challenge of detecting cervical cancer in time
The pilot project to incorporate Human Papillomavirus (HPV) testing at the primary care level is part of the Dominican Republic’s efforts to accelerate the prevention and early detection of cervical cancer. The Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) reported in April 2026 that the country is making progress in implementing screening services in primary care centers, initially in border areas of the Dajabón and Elías Piña provinces.
Cervical cancer continues to represent a significant public health problem in the country. According to data from the Global Cancer Observatory cited by PAHO, in 2022 there were 967 new cases and 622 deaths from this disease in the Dominican Republic. PAHO also notes that it ranks second among gynecological cancers in the country.
