Dengue patrol reaches 795,000 through ground and digital activities
October 9, 2019
Winners of Dengue Patrol 2019 from various schools across Malaysia together with standing (8th from right) Faridah Yang Razali.
Dengue prevention is the responsibility of all, and over the six-month Dengue Patrol 2019 initiative, students from 131 primary and secondary schools rolled up their sleeves to raise awareness and instil a spirit of advocacy and involvement in fighting dengue.
Dengue Patrol, a collaboration between Ministry of Health Malaysia, Ministry of Education Malaysia and Sanofi Pasteur, was introduced in 2011 and involves thousands of students every year to fill the role of dengue patrollers in their respective schools, spearheading on-ground and digital activities that extend beyond the school walls into the surrounding communities. Deputy Minister of Education Teo Nie Ching, represented by Faridah Yang Razali, Deputy Director of Daily School Management Division, Ministry of Education, officiated at the prize-giving ceremony, acknowledging the efforts of all the schools and their dedicated dengue patrollers in their fight to eliminate dengue. Teo said, “Dengue Patrol 2019 continues to showcase the creativity, ingenuity and dedication of our schoolchildren, who deserve praise and recognition for their amazing efforts. Year after year, we continue to see results that prove the message of dengue awareness and the importance of prevention is being conveyed and reinforced among their fellow students and members of the community. Such a positive example reminds us that we all must play a part in being responsible citizens. I congratulate every dengue patroller for being such good role models, and their teachers who have actively guided and supported them along the way.” A total of 131 primary and secondary schools participated at the state level, with 50 schools advancing to the national level, comprising 32 state champions with an additional 18 schools selected using a new wild card format. Their combined efforts culminated in 15,215 ground initiatives reaching over 795,673 people and a total of 564,786 online activities including the online dengue quiz, a key requirement. This year, 44,793 dengue quizzes were completed, marking the highest-ever achievement, which clearly demonstrates the efficacy of the students’ efforts to push for better understanding amongst the public about the disease. Stellar examples of creativity included educational skits, exhibitions, infographics, short videos, animations, gotong royong activities, art competitions, community engagement and interviews with health officials. Students also took the initiative to involve Malaysian celebrities such as Janna Nick, Bella Dally, Ziana Zain, Fasha Sandha, Rozita Che Wan, Marsha Milan Londoh, Nabila Razali, Anuar Zain, Remy Ishak and Rahim Sepahtu, among others, and took to social media with impressive results. The winning schools with the most impactful dengue awareness and prevention campaign in the Primary School Category was Sekolah Kebangsaan Pasir Panjang (Selangor). Their active social media presence, with a total of 462 posts generated a total of 41,288 views while their ground activities included developing and distributing educational materials, organising talks, collecting anti-dengue pledges, an arts competition and a song-and-dance performance for their fellow students. In the Secondary School Category Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan Baru Bintulu (Sarawak) was declared the winner. Their effective video depicted a touching story of a student; Lika who had died of dengue and then chronicles her friend’s participation in Dengue Patrol 2019 in her memory. They also documented impactful engagements with local media and businesses, collaboration with NGOs for activities such as gotong royong and community activities such as market visits and taking part in a state run as dengue patrollers to increase visibility, as well as receive testimonials from former dengue victims. |
EXPLORE FURTHER
|
Debunking common myths about dengue: What you need to knowUnderstanding dengue myths can help protect your health effectively
|
|
When dengue lasts beyond the fever: The hidden impact of post-dengue syndromeSevere dengue can severely affect your health, with post-dengue syndrome lingering for months
|
|
Takeda dengue vaccine candidate show long term safety results in pivotal phase 3 efficacy trialTAK-003 is based on a live-attenuated dengue serotype 2 virus
|
|
Unveiling the map to designing treatments for dengue and zika viruses
Structures of four dengue and four Zika viruses
|
