Communicating to Donate: Dominican Republic Launches National Initiative at “Comunicar para Donar” Symposium

Santo Domingo – The Dominican Republic has launched a national campaign to strengthen the culture of organ donation, aiming to address one of the lowest donation rates in the region and increase public awareness through coordinated media engagement.

The initiative was unveiled during the national symposium “Comunicar para Donar Vida,” organized by the National Institute for Transplant Coordination (Incort) in collaboration with the Ministry of Public Health, the Dominican College of Journalists (CDP), the Health Journalists Circle (Cipesa), and the Pan American Health Organization/World Health Organization (PAHO/WHO). The event took place on April 17, 2026, at the Hotel Catalonia in Santo Domingo.

During the symposium, health officials revealed that the country’s organ donation rate stands at just 0.65 donors per million inhabitants, while the rate of family refusal to consent to donation remains as high as 71 percent. These figures were described as critical challenges requiring urgent intervention.

Public Health Minister Víctor Atallah urged journalists and communicators to become strategic allies in promoting empathetic messaging that counters misinformation and builds public trust. He emphasized that combating disinformation and strengthening education for families are central to increasing donation rates.

Incort Director José Juan Castillos Almonte highlighted the press as a key agent of social change, stating that a well-told story can directly influence the decision to donate organs and ultimately save lives. He underscored the importance of media in transforming societal attitudes toward donation.

Carol Guarina Martínez, president of Cipesa, stressed the ethical responsibility of health journalism to inform with rigor and accuracy, arguing that responsible reporting is essential to educate the public and guide citizens toward informed decisions about donation.

PAHO advisor Pedro López Puig emphasized that organ donation must be guided by principles of altruism, equity, transparency, and respect for human dignity. He called for communication strategies that avoid sensationalism and instead promote truthful, respectful narratives.

The symposium concluded with a call from CDP President Luis Pérez Novas for communicators to adopt a more conscious and educational approach when covering organ donation, reinforcing the need for sustained, constructive public dialogue on the issue.

The campaign seeks to reverse low participation by improving public understanding, dispelling myths, and positioning organ donation as an act of solidarity and public health. Officials affirmed their commitment to expanding education and family support initiatives as part of the national strategy.