Santo Domingo.- With a view to improving health conditions in medical care centers, the health authorities of the Dominican Republic and UNICEF agreed on Wednesday a joint strategy to reduce barriers to access to drinking water, sanitation and hygiene (Washbat).
As reported by the Ministry of Public Health (MSP), the objective is to guarantee resilient, safe and sustainable services nationwide.
The holder of that ministry, Victor AtallahHe said that one of the most relevant points of the commitment assumed is that water quality will be contemplated as a mandatory criterion for the authorization of health centers, in addition to including it in the construction and maintenance budgets of new infrastructure.
Meanwhile, the interim representative in the country of UNICEF, Anyoli Sanabria, stressed that “each girl and boy has the right to grow healthy and safe, and that begins by guaranteeing clean water and adequate sanitation in each hospital. With this plan, the Dominican nation advances to protect childhood and realize basic rights for all families ».
Atallah and Sanabri recalled that data published by the National Survey of Multiple Purpose Households (Enhogar 2024), of the National Statistics Office (ONE), indicate that, although 70.9 % of Dominican households receive water from the public aqueduct, only 28.5 % access the service continuously for six or seven days a week.
In turn, 31.8 % receive water for less than five hours a day, a situation that also affects health centers, compromising hygiene conditions and infections control.
