SANTO DOMINGO – The Dominican Republic has taken a major step forward in its fight against tuberculosis, upgrading the national public health system’s detection capabilities with the addition of two cutting-edge GeneXpert molecular diagnostic devices. This expansion brings the total number of these advanced testing tools in the country’s public health network to 36, covering communities across all regions of the nation.
The two new systems were purchased with an investment of 3.38 million Dominican pesos, a strategic allocation of public health funding aimed at closing gaps in rapid TB diagnostics. Unlike traditional testing methods that can take days to deliver results, these molecular platforms can deliver an accurate tuberculosis diagnosis in mere hours. Critically, they can also rapidly identify strains of the disease that are resistant to first-line drug treatments, a breakthrough that removes long delays in connecting patients to appropriate care. By enabling earlier initiation of targeted treatment, the new equipment is expected to slow community transmission of the bacteria and improve long-term patient outcomes.
Dominican Republic Minister of Public Health Víctor Atallah emphasized that expanding access to this high-end diagnostic technology is a cornerstone of the government’s work to improve early TB detection, which is widely recognized as the most effective intervention to curb the spread of the disease. Atallah noted that the expanded nationwide network of devices moves the country closer to its official public health goal of fully eliminating tuberculosis within its borders. Public health authorities also highlighted that the broader distribution of GeneXpert systems will improve equitable access to rapid, extremely accurate testing for at-risk populations in both urban centers and rural areas that previously faced longer wait times for results.
This upgrade is an integrated component of the Dominican government’s comprehensive national strategy to strengthen every stage of tuberculosis care, from primary prevention and early diagnosis to targeted treatment and long-term patient follow-up. The national approach is fully aligned with the global tuberculosis elimination targets set by the World Health Organization, supporting international efforts to reduce TB incidence and mortality worldwide.