The National Epidemiological Surveillance System (Sinave) of the Ministry of Public Health reported that in the first epidemiological week of 2026, the country registered a total of 33 cases of child deaths.
The highest percentage of these deaths occurred in Santo Domingo, with 9, followed by Santiago with 6, while San Cristóbal and Duarte registered three in each district.
It is recalled that the term infant death refers to the death of a child between birth and the first year of life. This concept also covers neonatal mortality, which are deaths that occur during the first 28 days of life.
Cases of child deaths reflect the health, socioeconomic, nutritional conditions and access to medical care of a population, according to Public Health.
Of maternal deaths, only one case was recorded in the San Cristóbal province, of an out-of-hospital nature, of a 41-year-old woman.
Among the prioritized events, dengue disease accumulated 11 suspected cases and one confirmed in the province of Barahona in this first week.
Five cases of malaria were recorded from Guayabal, municipality of Azua. Malaria or malaria is a disease caused by a parasite called Plasmodium, transmitted by the bite of an infected mosquito.
Its symptoms include fever, vomiting, headache, sweating and chills. These symptoms usually appear ten to fifteen days after the bite.
During the first week of 2026, no cases of leptospirosis have been reported in the Dominican Republic; However, during the last 4 weeks, about 10 cases have been confirmed, which, compared to the previous period, represents a decrease of 26%, the institution reported.
Leptospirosis is a disease with epidemic potential, mainly after heavy rains, caused by a bacteria called leptospira. It is acquired by having direct contact with the urine of infected animals or with an environment contaminated by urine. Human-to-human transmission occurs very rarely.
Leptospirosis can present with a wide variety of clinical manifestations, from a mild form to a severe and sometimes fatal disease.
Its symptoms can resemble various diseases, such as influenza, dengue and other hemorrhagic diseases of viral origin, which is why Public Health explains the importance of correct diagnosis at the beginning of symptoms to avoid serious cases and save lives.
