Increasing Public Awareness of Dengue Fever Prevention

August 20th – 22nd, 2013Within the comprehensive program of “Community Development” in Tay Ninh Province, ADRA Vietnam has conducted “Information, Education, Communication” activities on health protection for local residents. The main theme of this month fell into Dengue Fever Prevention; that aims at raising attention of people in project site to avoid infectious disease during the rainy season.

In Long Chu and Ninh Dien Commune, there have been 200 participants actively engaged into the communication event, including subjects benefited from Cow Bank, Income Generation and Clean Water Facilities Initiatives of ADRA. On average, of 30-40 people had presented at every ward-level meeting to have direct discussion with our health collaborators on the issue. Besides, flyers and brochures offering advice of controlling and treating the disease were also provided, so that information would not only stop with the attendees, but also be disseminated to their family members.

After the event, local people have gained new knowledge and been able to distinguish mosquitoes causing Malaria with those instigating Dengue Fever. This is truly an important stage to save life for patients who were unluckily infected, as the people surroundings can recognize symptoms and bring them to the nearest clinics in time. Furthermore, participants also committed themselves for practical actions, such as putting salt into small bowls lain around wardrobe feet, cleaning water containers, etc. These positive impacts have shed light to the coming communication activities, which will be implemented in other project communes: Long Giang and Thanh Long in the latest week of August.