Dominican Republic

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Development Challenge Other Donors FY 2002 Program Activity Data Sheets Summary Tables Program Summary Strategic Objective Summary USAID Search: Dominican Republic Previous Years' Activities 2001, 2000, 1999, 1998, 1997 04     Introduction The United States has many reasons for ensuring that the Dominican Republic remains a stable, democratic, prosperous and healthy nation. This country's proximity to the United States -- a two-hour flight to Miami or 70 miles to Puerto Rico -- suggests that its socio-economic challenges are not confined by the Caribbean Sea that surrounds it. The already large Dominican population in the United States is growing, as is travel between the two countries, be it American tourism, business travel, or Dominicans visiting family members. The Dominican Republic is the United States' seventh largest trade partner in the hemisphere. U.S. interests include strengthening democratic institutions; ensuring that all Dominicans share the benefits of economic growth; improving the environment for U.S. investors and exporters; fighting transnational crimes such as drug trafficking and money laundering; stemming illegal immigration to the U.S.; reducing the spread of disease and ensuring regional stability on the island and in the Caribbean. The Development Challenge Increased democratic freedom and economic growth have not yet resulted in improved economic conditions for the majority of Dominicans, causing many to question whether democracy can produce sustainable economic development and tangible improvements in the lives of ordinary citizens. Major impediments remain in areas important to sustained economic growth, such as competitiveness, education, environment, and energy. The Dominican business community is unprepared to compete in global markets. Public and private sector corruption detracts from the Dominican Republic's investment climate. A major constraint to more widespread participation in the nation's economy is the lack of quality education. Protection of the environment is also critical to sustainable economic growth. Growth in tourism, which constitutes a major part of the country's economy, will continue only if the Dominican Republic better protects its environment and natural resources, including national parks. Agricultural production and water resources needed for industry, irrigation, electricity generation, and human consumption can be sustained only if improved watershed management, forestry management, and soil conservation practices are adopted. Finally, electricity service, the basis for any productive enterprise, should be accessible to the 35%of the population who currently live without it. The Dominican Republic is making notable progress in improving health care services for its most vulnerable populations. During the past three years, the Secretariat of Health has placed greater emphasis on maternal and child health care and HIV/AIDS prevention and has initiated important health sector reforms. Though some progress has been made, health statistics and indicators suggest that the Dominican Republic must invigorate efforts to improve delivery of quality health care services. For example, maternal mortality rates are among the highest in Latin America. Vaccination rates at the provincial level vary between 90% in urban areas to 45% in rural areas. Infectious diseases, particularly since Hurricane Georges, continue to be worrisome given significant opportunities for cross-border transmission with Haiti. Although contraceptive prevalence among married women has reached a record high of 64%, the country continues to struggle with a high adolescent pregnancy rate (30%) and a high incidence of HIV transmission, particularly among youth. The prevalence of HIV/AIDS has become an economic as well as a health issue. Finally, though health sector reform has begun, which will help improve health care access and equity, the 2000 transition of administrations has slowed policy reform implementation. The Dominican Republic has made steady advances toward democracy, but democratic consolidation continues to be a challenge. This is evidenced by extreme clientelism, which still prevails within political parties, weak electoral, and rule of law institutions; and corruption that limits public confidence in government and leads to an inequitable distribution of the benefits resulting from economic growth. To strengthen electoral processes for the 2002 Congressional and municipal elections, the Dominican Republic must address several issues in the Electoral Law, e.g., how to institute electoral districts; how to reach consensus on term length for members of Congress and municipal officials; and how to improve voting procedures at poll sites. The Dominican Republic is still recovering from the economic and social infrastructure damages Hurricane Georges caused in September 1998. Those most affected, largely poor and rural Dominicans, are beginning to restore small-scale, agricultural production, and small businesses to pre-hurricane levels. Access to water and sanitation as well as repaired or newly constructed housing for the many left homeless is also increasing. Widespread community participation in all facets of hurricane reconstruction efforts is helping improve prospects for mitigating damage during future natural disasters. Other Donors USAID is the sixth largest donor to the Dominican Republic, after the Inter-American Development Bank, the World Bank, the European Union, Spain, and Japan. Taiwan and Germany are also important donors. FY 2002 Program In FY2002, USAID's assistance program will contribute to five Agency goals: Democracy, Economic Growth, Environment, Population and Health, and Education. Principal activities in democracy and governance include strengthening the rule of law and respect for human rights, developing a freer and more active civil society, fighting corruption, and creating civil society support for more genuine and competitive electoral processes. New opportunities exist to assist the Dominican government to strengthen its anti-corruption program as well as its Anti-Corruption Unit under the Attorney General. As in the 2000 presidential election, support to civil society will improve electoral transparency, help create issue-oriented platforms, and provide a forum for public debate. The FY2002 program will help the Dominican Elections Board address Electoral Law implementation issues. In promoting more sustainable economic growth, key policy reform areas will include economic competitiveness, basic education quality, sustainable management of natural resources and the environment, and rural electrification. In the health sector, initiatives for FY2002 will include improving access to HIV/AIDS/STI prevention and care services by at-risk and affected populations, reproductive health services for target underserved populations; selected child survival interventions and increasing the efficiency and equity of basic health services at decentralized levels. The Hurricane Georges reconstruction program is nearing completion (December 31, 2001) and is achieving its health, housing, economic reactivation and disaster mitigation targets. Activity Data Sheets 517-002 Increased Use of Sustainable Basic Health Care Services and Practices 517-003 More Participatory, Representative and Better Functioning Democracy Achieved 517-005 Hurricane Georges Reconstruction 517-007 Policies for Sustainable Economic Growth Country Background Information Resources   CIA Factbook Library of Congress National Geographic Country Maps State Dept. Country Information

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