Danilo Medina examines the causes of neonatal mortality in the Dominican Republic

Former President Danilo Medina says the Dominican Republic’s neonatal mortality problem begins after mothers reach the health system. He argued that access to care is not the main obstacle, pointing instead to how medical protocols are applied during childbirth and how newborns are monitored afterward.

Medina, who leads the Dominican Liberation Party, cited an infant mortality rate of 20.8 deaths per 1,000 live births. He said neonatal deaths, those occurring within the first 28 days of life, account for 82% of infant deaths, and that roughly 80% of newborn fatalities are preventable.

“It's not a coverage problem,” Medina said, referring to prenatal care coverage of 97.6% among pregnant women. In his view, the figures suggest that the country has largely reached expectant mothers through medical services, but has not addressed failures that may occur during and immediately after birth.

He identified premature births and low birth weight among the main factors linked to newborn deaths. Medina urged authorities to examine where protocols are failing and whether babies receive the necessary care in their first days of life. He also pointed to other maternal and child health figures, including a cesarean rate of about 68% and exclusive breastfeeding for six months among only 19% of children, the period recommended by the World Health Organization.

Medina said his comments were not intended as a direct criticism of the government. He described them instead as a warning about a situation requiring a structural review of the health system. He made the remarks after a provincial PLD assembly in Salcedo, Hermanas Mirabal province, where he appeared with party Secretary-General Johnny Pujols.

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It's not a coverage problem.