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Santo Domingo.- The Ministry of Public Health reported that it has reinforced prevention, epidemiological surveillance, and health response measures to ensure the protection of the health of athletes, delegations, support staff, and visitors who will participate in the XXV Central American and Caribbean Games Santo Domingo 2026.
n” “nThe institution explained that it has implemented a comprehensive health preparation and response device, aimed at preventing public health risks associated with the high mobility of people that this major international sporting event will generate.
n” “nAs part of the actions implemented, the Ministry highlighted the strengthening of diagnostic and laboratory capacity through the Dr. Defilló National Public Health Laboratory, which has the necessary technical resources for the timely detection of notifiable diseases, including influenza, COVID-19, measles, and whooping cough.
n” “nLikewise, the country has genomic surveillance capacity for the identification and characterization of infectious agents, allowing for the early detection of possible variants and the differentiation of imported cases from local transmission.
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Epidemiological surveillance has also been strengthened through the National Epidemiological Surveillance System (Sinave) and the General Directorate of Epidemiology (Digepi), with permanent monitoring and active search for suspected cases in tourist areas, border points, and places with high concentrations of people.
Similarly, the Ministry of Health is working in coordination with the Civil Aviation Board, immigration, port, and tourism sector authorities to strengthen prevention and control capabilities at ports, airports, and border crossings, in accordance with the provisions of the International Health Regulations.
n” “nAnother measure is the vaccination schedule verification and update strategy aimed at athletes, organizing staff, support workers, and the population residing in the host communities of the competitions. The initiative places special emphasis on the measles, rubella, and mumps (MMR) vaccine, with the goal of maintaining collective protection and reducing the risk of vaccine-preventable diseases.
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n” “nThe authorities reminded that the Dominican Republic has maintained its status as a measles-free country since 2001, and therefore urged the population to verify and complete in a timely manner their immunization schedules at the vaccination centers of the Public Health Services Network.
n” “nFurthermore, the institution indicated that it has technical personnel trained in epidemiological surveillance, clinical management, biosafety, and outbreak response, as well as rapid response teams prepared to act immediately in the event of any health contingency.
n” “nnn” “n“Preparation cannot be improvised. The country arrives at these events with a robust surveillance system, diagnostic and sequencing capacity, protected entry points, and an active immunization strategy. Protecting health at mass events is a shared task,” highlighted the Minister of Health, Víctor Atallah.
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The Ministry of Health reiterated its call to the population to verify and complete their vaccination schedules in a timely manner and reaffirmed its commitment to preserving the health of residents and visitors, contributing to the health success of both international events and strengthening the image of the Dominican Republic as a safe destination prepared to host major global events.
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