Medical Tourism Safety: A Texas man on a honeymoon in the Dominican Republic suffered a life-threatening emergency and later learned he had a rare Dieulafoy lesion, underscoring how quickly elective-trip plans can turn critical. Consumer Health & Enforcement: Dominican authorities seized 30,000+ illicit goods from Chinese-owned businesses, including medicines and sexual stimulants sold without required sanitary registration or proper labeling. Public Health & Environment: A new study warns Caribbean queen conch marine protected areas may lose the ocean conditions the species needs abruptly by mid-century, threatening livelihoods tied to the fishery. Health Coaching Research: A dementia trial across multiple countries, including the Dominican Republic, found structured coaching improved cognition far more than lighter-touch advice. Food & Disease Preparedness: Regional officials urged continued vigilance against animal and foodborne diseases like African swine fever and bird flu, noting threats persist even without outbreaks. Local Health Data Planning: The Dominican Center for Strategic Thinking announced a nationwide study to use official data on Dominican-Haitian relations, including births in public hospitals by parents’ migration status. Agriculture & Nutrition: Banreservas, FAO, and the Ministry of Agriculture agreed on RD$1.18B to modernize farming, improve water management, and strengthen climate adaptation. Waste & Health Risk: Research flags the Dominican Republic among “plastic pollution hotspots,” linking overloaded waste systems to major health impacts. Health Tourism Policy: The Dominican Republic advanced legislation to make health tourism a national priority. Compliance for SMEs: DGII expanded its Tax Scoring program to small businesses via its Virtual Office, aiming to improve reporting consistency that can affect healthcare-sector operations and costs.