Santo Domingo.- In the context of the World AIDS Daycommemorated every December 1, the Background of the United Nations Children (UNICEF) presents key findings from the Indicator Survey Multiple by Conglomerates (ENHOGAR-MICS 2019), carried out in conjunction with the National Office of Statistics (ONE). The report reflects important advances in knowledge about the HIVas well as persistent gaps in prevention and social attitudes.
The survey indicates that 98.4% of women in 15 to 49 years have heard about AIDS and that a considerable proportion identify the main ways to prevent the infection.
However, only 38.1% achieve comprehensive knowledge about HIV, which combines understanding of protection methods, recognition of risk and rejection of myths. Although the majority discard erroneous ideas, such as transmission by mosquitoes (63.9%) or supernatural means (89.9%), perceptions still persist that can limit informed decision-making.
We invite you to also read: Demand for vaccines increases due to rebound in respiratory infections
Regarding mother-to-child transmission, 91.3% recognize at least one route of infection and 53.5% identifies the three possible ones: pregnancy, childbirth and breastfeeding. Likewise, testing coverage during pregnancy remains high: 90.6% accepted and received the results of an HIV test as part of prenatal care.
“The data shows that information alone is not enough. We need to strengthen comprehensive sexuality education, combat stigma and ensure that every woman, especially the youngest women, can make informed decisions to protect their health and that of their families. The Dominican Republic has made progress, but we still face challenges that require sustained action”said Anyoli Sanabria, interim representative of UNICEF in the country.
Stigma continues to be a relevant barrier. A 41.9% maintains discriminatory attitudes towards people living with HIV, while the 90.1% perceives that fear of social rejection limits testing. This especially affects young women of 15 to 24 yearsamong whom only the 32.1% has comprehensive knowledge and only 24.7% have taken a test in the last 12 months and know their result.
UNICEF warns that children and adolescents living with HIV continue to be the group furthest behind in access to early diagnosis, timely treatment and specialized care, a situation that could worsen given recent global funding cuts.
Likewise, models developed by UNICEF and UNAIDS project that, if program coverage is reduced by half in the world, 1.1 million of children more could acquire HIV and more than 820,000 could die from AIDS-related causes by 2040, numbers that would reverse decades of progress.
Even maintaining current service levels, it is estimated 1.9 million of new infections and 990,000 deaths additional children in that same period.
These projections are reinforced by the most recent global data, which shows that thousands of children continue to be left out of treatment: only 55% receive antiretroviral therapy, while the burden of new infections and deaths remains high globally.
However, progress is possible. Between 2000 and 2024, HIV services prevented more than 4.4 million of infections and 2.1 million of infant deaths.
Faced with this panorama, UNICEF calls on governments and partners to protect and prioritize HIV services for mothers, children and adolescents; strengthen the prevention of mother-to-child transmission; expand pediatric treatment; and integrate HIV care into more robust health systems, supported by sustainable and innovative financing mechanisms.
ENHOGAR-MICS 2025 and the “Data Count” campaign
While these results are disseminated, the country is already working on ENHOGAR-MICS 2025which will update national indicators and allow precise monitoring of trends and gaps.
In a complementary way, UNICEF continues to promote his campaign “Data Counts”, whose purpose is to highlight the importance of reliable information as a basis for more effective public decisions aimed at improving the lives of children and families.
“On this World AIDS Day, the findings of ENHOGAR-MICS 2019 and the efforts moving forward towards 2025 reaffirm the importance of strengthening public policies guided by evidence, reducing stigma and moving towards a more inclusive, preventive and sustainable national response to HIV”Sanabria concluded.
