The collaboration established by the Thailand Dengue Prevention and Control Memorandum of Understanding between Takeda (Thailand) Limited, a global biopharmaceutical company, and Kao Industrial (Thailand) Co., Ltd., a leading manufacturer of consumer and chemical products, is working jointly with Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA), and in particular its Department of Health and Department of Education, to run the 'Dengue-zero School Project', as part of the effort to raise awareness of Dengue, one of Thailand's pressing endemic priorities. The project is being piloted in ten schools across different districts. Over 7,900 participating students will learn more about the disease and practical guidance to prevent Dengue at home and in their communities. Schools with outstanding 'Dengue-zero' practices, measured by the extent to which larval breeding habitats have been eliminated, will be awarded trophies, certificates, and scholarship funding of up to Baht 30,000.
Mr. Suksan Kittisupakorn, Duputy Permanent Secretary of Bangkok, said of the dengue situation, "over 1,600 dengue cases in Bangkok from January to March this year have already been reported. They are most prevalent in the 5-14 age bracket. Reducing the spread of Dengue is one of BMA's priorities. Actions have been taken at schools and healthcare institutions, as well as at the community level, to remain on alert and minimize larval breeding habitats. As for the 'Dengue-zero School Project' which is operated by Takeda and Kao in partnership with BMA's Department of Health and Department of Education, the target groups consist of students and teachers, who will be trained to become competent in ridding their communities of dengue occurrences. BMA is pleased to support the project to its completion with maximum efficacy."
Mr. Peter Streibl, General Manager, Takeda (Thailand) Limited said that "the partnership created by the Dengue-zero Memorandum of Understanding has already been successful in raising awareness of Dengue at the community level and providing hands-on training in dengue prevention and control for over 1,000 village health volunteers in Bangkok's highly at-risk districts. As a continuation of that, the 'Dengue-zero School Project' will engage students, a group considered to be at high risk of infection. They will learn about the disease and how to implement preventive measures at school and in their communities. Working in partnership with BMA, Department of Health and Department of Education to help each community to become 'Dengue-zero' has been a pleasure. We look forward to welcome several creative ideas in sustainable Dengue prevention and control."
Mr. Yuji Shimizu, President, Kao Industrial (Thailand) Co., Ltd., said that "Dengue is transmitted by infected Aedes mosquitoes. Its outbreak would place economic burdens on society and public health at large. The 'Dengue-zero School Project' is yet another manifestation of Kao's commitment alongside its partners' in protecting the future of Thai children against Dengue. We are grateful to our partners from all sectors for their contribution to elevate the awareness and understanding of the disease. We are proud to have become part of this project."
To pilot the project, a series of workshop will be organized for over 7,900 participants, consisting of students and teachers from ten piloting schools across ten districts of Bangkok. The workshop session will teach about Dengue, how to suppress the population of Aedes mosquitoes and their larvae, and, most importantly, how to prevent and control the spread of infection sustainably in their respective communities. In a later stage of the project, an award recognition for "The Best Dengue-zero School" and "Dengue-zero Champion" of their outstanding 'Dengue-Zero' practices.
Source: Rabbit’s Tale PR
