The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and Takeda Biopharmaceuticals India Private Limited have launched a new initiative, “Haarega Dengue Haraenge Hum” (We Will Together Defeat Dengue). The campaign aims to educate school children and communities across Maharashtra, Odisha, and Uttar Pradesh about preventing dengue and adopting practices to curb the spread of vector-borne diseases.

As climate change leads to increased temperatures and rainfall, vector-borne diseases like dengue are becoming more common, adding strain to already stressed health systems. This campaign will explore how climate change affects infectious disease spread and offer strategies for improving health system preparedness and response.

Warren Harrity, Acting Mission Director at USAID, emphasized, “USAID is committed to enhancing health system resilience by monitoring climate-sensitive diseases through surveillance, strengthening health systems for climate events, and supporting climate-smart health policies. We are proud to partner with India’s health systems and corporations like Takeda to address climate change-related infectious diseases.”

Yamashita Yuta, First Secretary (Health Attaché) at the Embassy of Japan in India, highlighted the importance of the collaboration, stating, “Combating dengue through this partnership marks a significant step in our global health commitment and strengthens the Indo-Japan relationship. Dengue poses a critical public health threat due to climate unpredictability and requires action at both local and international levels. Our combined efforts can set a standard for international cooperation in healthcare.”

Annapurna Das, General Manager of Takeda Biopharmaceuticals India Pvt Ltd, noted, “Takeda believes in the necessity of bold, collective action across sectors to address climate change and protect communities from vector-borne diseases. Aligning with our mission of better health and a brighter future, we are committed to this campaign and will collaborate with various stakeholders to achieve a Dengue Mukt Bharat.”

Neeraj Jain, CEO of the Centre for Health Research and Innovation (CHRI), expressed pride in the partnership: “We are excited to launch this campaign with Takeda Biopharmaceuticals. Our goal is to raise awareness and unite communities in our commitment to health and climate resilience. As 2024 is promoted as the ‘Year of Climate and Health Action,’ this initiative underscores the need for innovative solutions to tackle climate-sensitive diseases.”

The campaign was introduced at the “Call to Action for Climate Sensitive Infectious Diseases: A Strategic Synergy Session,” organized by CHRI under the USAID-supported Sustainable Action for Climate and Health (SACH) Initiative. This partnership exemplifies the effectiveness of collaboration among local organizations, national governments, donors, and private corporations in advancing climate-adaptive health systems and communities.