Zika Prevention in the Dominican Republic
In response to the recent appearance of the Zika virus, staff at our clinics in the Dominican Republic received an intensive training seminar.
With 20 years’ experience working in the Dominican Republic, Project HOPE is committed to promoting health and well-being in this Caribbean nation. In response to the recent appearance of the Zika virus, staff at our clinics received an intensive training seminar, gaining knowledge and skills regarding awareness, prevention, and screening for this infection. The Zika virus is known to cause symptoms including fever and rash, and has been shown to result in life-altering microcephaly in newborns of mothers infected with the mosquito-borne virus. In addition to staff training, prevention messaging is integrated into the clinic waiting areas and individual patient consultations, together with group educational talks provided by the medical staff.
Beyond the clinics, our staff are also taking Zika awareness and prevention messaging to the communities, with a focus on identifying and removing mosquito breeding grounds, such as standing water and uncovered water storage containers, and mobilizing community members to take specific actions to prevent further infections with the Zika virus in the Dominican Republic. Further, Project HOPE remains informed and working in conjunction with national public health guidelines to participate in a coordinated response to the virus.
