Country Profile Dominican Republic

Ten million people live in the Dominican Republic, 70 percent of them in urban areas. This puts it slightly below the regional average, most likely because of a larger land mass. The per capita income is only one-third compared to the rest of the region, despite it being a major tourist destination. The majority of the wealth finds its way into the hands of a few business owners, leaving the rest to exist on very low wages.

Expenditures on health care have remained steady for the last 15 years, despite the rapid development of the country’s neighbors. The number of doctors rests at the regional average of approximately 19 per 10,000 people, though the number of nurses and midwives is less than one-third of average.

Infant mortality in the Dominican Republic is almost double that of its neighbors and maternal mortality is 35 percent higher. The reason behind this lies in the government-enforced illegality of abortion, even in cases where the child or mother is at risk. 3.5 children of every 100 die before age five and 48 percent of these from birth-related complications. The disparate quality of health care among the wealthy and poor is evident in the fact that the mortality rate of the poorest 20 percent is twice that of the richest 20.

The number of attended births is higher than the average at 98 percent, with 95 percent of infants receiving proper antenatal care. So many skilled births, yet a high prevalence of birth-related deaths are most likely due to a combination of poor quality of health care among the poor, illegality of abortion and the extreme pollution of the area. The Dominican Republic is one of the 10 most polluted places on earth, leading to many cases of lead poisoning, kidney failure, and a prevalence of impaired growth in children.

The presence of HIV in the country is almost double the regional average and tuberculosis is almost triple. Death from disease is over twice what it is in neighboring countries. Again, this points to an obvious disparity in the quality of health care that the wealthy are receiving versus what the poor are getting, particularly relating to the many health problems that arise from pollution.

Availability of clean drinking-water is increasing in the rural areas even as it drops in the cities. This is another indicator of the serious pollution problems that the Dominican Republic is facing. Sanitation for rural areas is also increasing, while urban sanitation has remained the same.

Like most modernized nations, the Dominican Republic has a high degree of contraceptive use as well as a larger than average obese population. This indicates a better diet and a more well-off population. Services are increasing, though the disparity of wealth favors quality to the rich and a minimal contribution to the poor. In a country with such a high amount of tourism, one can see that most of the money coming from outside the country is going to benefit a small group of people, with just enough being used to keep the underpaid general population healthy enough to work.