The Dominican Republic is working closely with Haiti to reduce the incidence of malaria on the island. Guillermo Gonzálvez, director of the National Center for the Control of Tropical Diseases said that there have been 867 cases of malaria reported this year, down from 3,590 last year. Most of these cases have occurred in the frontier area with Haiti. Gonzálvez says the European Union is expected to soon approve a project that would provide major funding so that Dominican experts can assist Haiti in a project to control malaria in Haiti. While malaria prophylaxis is not necessary when visiting cities and resort areas, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention of the US government continues to recommend chloroquine prophylaxis for travelers to areas near the border with Haiti. The Dominican Republic’s efforts to control malaria have achieved world recognition. For information on travel health in the DR, see http://www.dr1.com/health.htm
