Santo Domingo.- The Ministry of Public Health’s latest epidemiological bulletin paints a stark picture of rising respiratory infections and a worrying toll of infant fatalities during week 29 (July 13–19). Authorities confirmed 22 new COVID-19 cases out of 209 samples—an 8 percent positivity rate—while 25 children under one year old lost their lives, bringing the year-to-date infant death total to 970.

The National Reference Laboratory Dr. Defilló detected active circulation of multiple respiratory viruses, including influenza B (Victoria lineage) at 8.3 percent positivity, and a combined 13.9 percent for adenovirus, parainfluenza, influenza A and respiratory syncytial virus. Sentinel surveillance recorded 24 severe acute respiratory infections, raising the 2025 cumulative to 882 cases.

Infant mortality soars amid respiratory outbreak

Child mortality remains a critical concern: neonatal deaths accounted for 85.4 percent (829) of the total infant fatalities. Public Health also reported two maternal deaths this week—one Haitian and one Dominican woman aged 20–39—bringing the maternal death count to 91, a 12 percent decline from 103 at this stage in 2024.

Vector-borne diseases held steady. Of 303 suspected malaria cases, seven tested positive, contributing to a 2025 tally of 649 laboratory-confirmed infections, with San Juan and Azua provinces most affected. Dengue fever saw 26 suspected cases and one confirmed infection, while leptospirosis recorded seven new suspicions and no additional confirmations. No deaths were linked to malaria, dengue or leptospirosis.

Regions hardest hit by COVID-19 included the National District, Espaillat and Duarte, with an incidence of 74.24 cases per 100,000 inhabitants over the last four weeks. Health officials urge continued vaccination, mask use in crowded settings and prompt medical attention for respiratory symptoms, especially among infants and pregnant women.

With respiratory pathogens on the rise and nearly a thousand young lives lost, public health experts warn that strengthened surveillance, expanded ICU capacity and community outreach are essential to avert further tragedies. The week 29 report underscores the urgent need for sustained investment in the country’s healthcare infrastructure to protect its most vulnerable citizens.

Santiago de los Caballeros.- Executives from the Specialized Hospital for Advanced Medicine (HEMA) announced that construction is nearly complete, with the grand opening scheduled for November 30, 2025. Located at kilometer 8.5 of the Duarte Highway in Puñal, Santiago, HEMA is poised to become a key player in both national healthcare and international health tourism.

The hospital will feature 177 rooms, 40 permanent and 40 mobile medical offices, and specialized units for cardiology, dialysis, robotic surgery, mental health, sports medicine, and intensive care for adults, children, and newborns. The facility also includes nine operating rooms, a high-tech clinical laboratory, an imaging and pathology unit, and a modern emergency department with 26 treatment stations and 11 observation posts.

With a projected 1,140 direct and 4,000 indirect jobs in its first phase, HEMA is expected to significantly boost the regional economy.

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Vinay Prasad had a problem. Several, actually, STAT tells us. His staff at the U.S. Food and Drug Administration kept leaking to the press. He was under attack by President Trump’s allies after moving to pull a gene therapy off the market. Democrats  were unhappy with his Covid vaccine restrictions and anti-vaccine advocates were lambasting him for approving the shots at all. He sent off an email to his team on Saturday evening, attempting to control the backlash. The agency’s recent crackdown on the gene therapy product was driven by a scientific consensus, he said. Not just him. “The motivation is solely what we think is in the public interest— the accurate judgment of benefits and risks,” Prasad wrote. By Tuesday, he was out of a job. His tenure as director of the FDA Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research lasted just 84 days. U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and FDA Commissioner Marty Makary opposed dismissing Prasad, but were overruled by President Trump, according to POLITICO. Meanwhile, George Tidmarsh, the FDA’s top drug regulator, was named acting director of the FDA’s Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research, STAT notes.

Eli Lilly’s blockbuster diabetes drug Mounjaro matched the ability of an older treatment to prevent major heart complications in a large trial, results that show the medication has cardiovascular benefits on top of helping lower blood sugar and weight, STAT says. Type 2 diabetes patients taking Mounjaro experienced an 8% lower risk of cardiovascular-related death, heart attack, or stroke compared to people taking Trulicity. The data mean the drug met the study goal of showing “non-inferiority” — that is, Mounjaro did not perform worse than Trulicity, but Mounjaro was not proven to be better than Trulicity. Some doctors had hoped Mounjaro would outperform Trulicity. In a survey conducted by TD Cowen analysts, doctors assigned Moujaro a 60% chance of superiority. The demonstration of non-inferiority confirms the widely held belief that Mounjaro does benefit the heart. Doctors are likely to continue prescribing the drug at the same rate, given it is already shown to be highly effective in lowering blood sugar and reducing weight.

Continue to STAT+ to read the full story…

The U.S. drugmaker has spent over $20 billion on acquisitions since 2023 as its flagship rheumatoid arthritis treatment, Humira, lost patent protection.

Gilgamesh is a clinical-stage company developing therapies for psychiatric disorders, including depression, anxiety and post-traumatic stress disorder.

In May, AbbVie said it is partnering with Gilgamesh to develop therapies for psychiatric disorders, under which Gilgamesh could receive up to $1.95 billion in option fees and milestone payments.

Deliberations over the acquisition are ongoing and could be delayed or fall apart, Bloomberg News reported.

AbbVie and Gilgamesh did not immediately respond to Reuters' requests for comment.

Also Read: AbbVie seeks USFDA nod for combination regimen of Venclexta, Acalabrutinib for previously untreated patients with Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia

The Grenada Food and Nutrition Council (GFNC) is headquarters is now located on Archibald Avenue in St George’s

View the full post GFNC headquarters officially on Archibald Avenue on NOW Grenada.

PAHO’s Virtual Campus for Public Health surpasses 4 million users

Cristina Mitchell

30 Jul 2025