Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic — The Pan American Health Organization (PAHO), in collaboration with national health authorities, conducted a technical mission from 14 to 17 September 2026 to support the country’s progress towards the goals of the global road map to defeat meningitis by 2030 and advance regional and national efforts to eliminate bacterial meningitis as a public health problem.
The mission brought together national teams in epidemiology, laboratory services, clinical care, immunization and health promotion, alongside PAHO specialists and international experts. Activities included a multidisciplinary national workshop, visits to public health facilities of the Ministry of Health and the National Health Service in Santo Domingo and Santiago de los Caballeros, and technical exchanges at the Dr. Defilló National Reference Laboratory.
Building on the country’s existing surveillance systems, laboratory capacity and committed health teams, participants identified practical opportunities to strengthen the continuum of care, from early recognition and timely diagnosis to treatment, notification and follow-up for people affected by meningitis.
Priority recommendations included updating clinical and surveillance protocols, strengthening specimen referral and hospital microbiology, linking clinical, epidemiological and laboratory data, and incorporating antimicrobial resistance surveillance findings into national analyses. The mission also emphasized the importance of screening for sequelae and establishing referral pathways for rehabilitation and long-term support.
The findings will guide the development of an integrated national workplan to strengthen the meningitis response within the framework of the country’s National Disease Elimination Plan 2026–2030. The mission concluded with a presentation of preliminary findings and closing remarks by Vice-Minister of Collective Health Dr. Eladio Pérez Antonio, who reaffirmed institutional commitment to these efforts.
