Dominican Republic’s Vice Minister of Health visits PAHO to advance cooperation under the Alliance for Primary Health Care

Washington D.C., 20 August 2025 (PAHO) - The Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) welcomed the Vice Minister of Strengthening and Development of the Ministry of Public Health and Social Assistance of the Dominican Republic, Yudelka Batista, on a technical visit aimed at strengthening cooperation under the Alliance for Primary Health Care (PHC) in the Americas.

Over two days, the Vice Minister held meetings with PAHO authorities and technical teams to review the progress and priorities of the Mesa Consultiva of the Alliance in the Dominican Republic, launched in September 2024. This space serves as a strategic platform to align policies, investments, and technical cooperation between the Ministry of Health, PAHO, the World Bank, and the Inter-American Development Bank.

The meetings provided an opportunity to discuss the role of the Mesa Consultiva in harmonizing existing projects, identifying gaps and overlaps, highlighting opportunities to advance in areas such as digital health, integrated health service networks (IHSNs), maternal and neonatal health, human resources for health, access to medicines, noncommunicable diseases, and mental health. In this context, the launch of the maturity measurement of IHSNs was announced for August 28, as the first product of the Mesa Consultiva with a strategic impact on PHC.

The visit also reaffirmed the Dominican Republic's commitment to transforming its health system based on PHC, with emphasis on consolidating sustainable financing, strengthening the health workforce, and reducing inequities in access to services.