USAID, Takeda launch dengue prevention campaign 'Haarega Dengue Haraenge Hum' in India

With the increase in dengue cases across the nation, Takeda Biopharmaceuticals India Pvt Ltd (formerly Baxalta Bioscience India Private Limited) and the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) launched a new dengue prevention campaign titled Haarega Dengue Haraenge Hum (We Will Together Defeat Dengue).

The campaign will focus on educating schoolchildren and communities in Maharashtra, Odisha, and Uttar Pradesh, as well as encourage people to adopt practices that can help prevent the spread of vector-borne diseases.

The campaign will delve deeper into how climate change affects the spread of infectious illnesses and provide ways for improving preparedness and building better, more responsive health systems in the country.

Warren Harrity, Acting Mission Director for USAID, said, "USAID is honored to partner with India's local and national health systems, as well as leverage our relationship with corporations like Takeda, to detect, prevent, and respond to climate change-related infectious diseases."

Yamashita Yuta, First Secretary (Health Attaché) of the Embassy of Japan in India, said, "Dengue has emerged as a critical threat to public health globally due to emerging climatic unpredictability and requires immediate attention at the local and international levels. We can achieve significant progress in disease prevention and management by pooling our expertise and resources, providing a model for international healthcare cooperation, and such collaboration strengthens the Indo-Japan relationship."

"We believe that controlling dengue is everyone's responsibility, and we are committed to this cause. We will continue to collaborate with multiple stakeholders, including the government, NGOs, industry, academia, and healthcare providers, to support the vision of Dengue Mukt Bharat," said Annapurna Das, General Manager of Takeda Biopharmaceuticals India Pvt Ltd.

The campaign was launched during the "Call to Action for Climate Sensitive Infectious Diseases: A Strategic Synergy Session," an event organized by CHRI as part of the USAID-funded Sustainable Action for Climate and Health (SACH) Initiative.