January 7, 2015

Health pamphlet in Creole
Photo Credit: Crystal Croom

Health promotion posters at DIGPRES
Photo Credit: Crystal Croom

Crystal: Today we had the pleasure of learning about the members of DIGPRES and its role in the Dominican community. DIGPRES is an acronym for Spanish words, but is basically the general directory of health promotion and education in the Dominican Republic. If translated correctly, their mission is to create a healthy lifestyle and environment in the population through the regulation and conduction of actions that involve health promotion and education to the public. DIGPRES created various pamphlets and educational posters to educate the public about various health issues, such as dengue, cholera, chikungunya, or malaria. These posters included the symptoms of the many diseases and prevention measures. They were also displayed in a basic manner that required minimal education to understand, giving them the ability to reach numerous people in the Dominican population. DIGPRES also had handouts and posters on health promotional activities and practices for the public to enjoy. They also know that there are many Haitian immigrants so they also make promotional booklets in Creole so their message can reach everyone. Various committees were established within DIGPRES to focus on certain health topics of concern in the Dominican Republic. We were given the opportunity to meet with some of the members of the breastfeeding committee, and they shared some of the information they give to the public. The members of each committee work hard to educate the public about various health issues and health promotional practices. They enter many communities and neighborhoods to reach as many Dominicans as possible. Unfortunately, DIGPRES is a government-run organization, and minimal government funding is given to healthcare in the D.R., making it hard for DIGPRES to fulfill their mission and vision.

Breastfeeding Committee
Photo Credit: Kirstie Geier 

Kirstie: DIGPRES had many resources to help educate and promote the practice of breastfeeding in the Dominican Republic. Their breastfeeding committee worked diligently to reach as many individuals in various hospitals and communities. They would speak with expecting or new mothers about the multiple benefits of breastfeeding for the mother and the child. They also handed out pamphlets for the mothers to keep to or to help reinforce their education. Their teaching may include how to help the newborn to “latch on,” proper diet when breastfeeding, proper positions to hold the baby during breastfeeding, and how often to breastfeed their child. We were informed that recently the presence of breastfeeding has decreased in the Dominican Republic due to the heavy amounts of baby formula advertisements and the stigmas surrounding breastfeeding, such as the women appearing less attractive to their husbands. The commission has worked hard to have laws mandating formula companies to clearly display what is in the formula and in the Spanish language. The labels also must be simple and not overly attractive to the consumer.

The students and leaders of DIGPRES in front of DIGPRES
Photo Credit: Xavier

Lastly, their commercials have to say that breastfeeding is the best choice for the mother and child and formula is the alternative method when one is not able to breastfeed. The establishment of a breastfeeding committee portrays a positive aspect of the healthcare system in the D.R. Their understanding of the importance of breastfeeding reflects positively upon their education regarding healthcare. If their committee is successful, the widespread practice of breastfeeding will have a positive health outcome in regards to maternal child health amongst the D.R.

The students with the Dominican doctor
Photo Credit: Xavier 

Rose: Today we got the chance to meet a Dominican doctor who gave a presentation that included an overview to the health systems in the D.R. We learned how the system has similar objectives to the U.S., but with different implementation techniques. He also explained some of the challenges that the D.R.’s healthcare system faces and some possible solutions. The challenges included: infectious diseases, the Haitian-Dominican border, the prevention system, lack of incentives for healthcare providers, unsafe punishment to healthcare providers (extra work hours), and inadequate health conditions. The possible solutions he presented included: border control, promotion of cardiovascular screenings, cancer prevention, salary improvement, fewer work hours, and the abolition of absurd punishments. These all seem to be serious problems with feasible solutions, but because of a corrupt government, it is even more difficult to instill political change. Unfortunately, one theme that we continued to see is the blaming of Haitians for many of the D.R.’s issues. This theme was present at DIGPRES and also in the doctor's presentation. Almost all of the prevalent infectious diseases that were presented to us were explained as brought over by Haitian immigrants. It was interesting to hear this interpretation of how the diseases have been spread when such an explanation was almost illogical for some. It seemed that perhaps culturally it was more accepted that the Haitian immigrant population was responsible for carrying the prevalent diseases and bringing them from Haiti to the D.R., than to accept that some of these diseases may have come from within the Dominican Republic’s borders.