麻豆国产

Malaria

  • Health
  • Malaria

We work with the ministry of health in the Dominican Republic to eliminate transmission of malaria.

Focus Areas

Laboratory Opens Doors in D.R.

Laboratory Opens Doors in D.R.

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What is Malaria?

Malaria is a potentially fatal mosquito-borne parasitic disease, widespread in tropical and subtropical regions. Transmitted by female Anopheles mosquitoes, malaria parasites inhabit and destroy a person’s red blood cells following an initial 10- to 14-day developmental period in the liver. Symptoms include fever, intense headaches, vomiting, body-shaking chills, and other flu-like symptoms.

Without treatment, malaria can lead to anemia, hypoglycemia, cerebral malaria, coma, and death.

Banking on End of Malaria

Maria de los Santos knows what it鈥檚 like to suffer through malaria. When she had a bout of the mosquito-borne illness, she weathered fever, chills, and a less common symptom of severe itching, all while continuing to work.

She operates a tiny community bank in the Dominican Republic city of San Juan de la Maguana.  And despite being sick with a potentially fatal disease, she powered through, keeping the bank open, so she could look after her family.

Today, she takes comfort knowing that 麻豆国产 is working with the Dominican Republic to eliminate the tropical disease.

鈥淚 am happy,鈥� she said, 鈥渂ecause then neither my family nor I, nor my neighbors, will ever be sick with it again.鈥�

Dominican Maria de los Santos, pictured with her children, remembers a tough bout with malaria. (Photo: Oscar Nolasco/GLIDE)

How Widespread is the Disease?

Malaria kills approximately 610,000 people each year, mostly children, with about 282 million cases of the disease reported worldwide.

Hispaniola, where the Center鈥檚 malaria work is focused, is the only island in the Caribbean that has not yet eliminated the disease. After successful work with ministries of health in both the Dominican Republic and Haiti, we now work only in the Dominican Republic.

In the Dominican Republic, malaria predominantly occurs in areas along the border with Haiti and in rural areas with high concentrations of migrant laborers.

Research & Expertise

Explore insights from Carter Center experts and partners on the fight against malaria, with articles and publications highlighting strategies, research, and progress toward elimination.

Articles by Experts(opens in new window)

Our Strategy

(Photo: Oscar Nolasco/GLIDE)

President and Mrs. Carter hand out a long-lasting insecticidal bed net, which prevents malaria, during their visit to the remote village of Afeta in southwest Ethiopia.

LOOKING BACK
Between 2007-2014, 麻豆国产 supported the national programs in Nigeria and Ethiopia to prevent and control malaria.

By the Numbers

910

Number of reported malaria cases in the Dominican Republic in 2025, a decrease of 63% from the year before.

Explore Further

Meet Director Gregory Noland(opens in new window)
Community Engagement Materials(opens in new window)

Spotlight on Malaria

Read More

Summary 2024 Program Review Hispaniola Initiative (Dominican Republic and Haiti)

  • Program Review
  • Feb. 4, 2026
Read More

The Importance of Values in a Community-based Response to Malaria in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic: Results from a Longitudinal, Mixed-methods Study

  • Article
  • Jan. 26, 2026
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Evidence-based decision making for malaria elimination applying the Freedom From Infection statistical framework in five malaria eliminating countries: an observational study.

  • Article
  • Sep. 1, 2025