Search This Blog

Tuesday, November 9, 2010

Indonesian-U.S. Partnerships Combat Dengue Fever

Press release from Americas Gov website :

" Lakewood, Colorado : Indonesian and U.S. universities, government agencies and nonprofit organizations are working together to control dengue fever, a painful disease transmitted by mosquitoes that can be fatal. Two research projects are under way in central Java — one outside Surakarta and the second in Yogjakarta, a city of about 400,000 people.

Dengue affects 50 million people annually worldwide, and drug treatment and vaccinations are currently not available. Research organizations — such as the U.S. National Institutes of Health (NIH) — continue studying the dengue virus to look for a cure.

In Yogjakarta, an expert team drawn from Indonesia, the United States and Singapore is investigating ways to reduce dengue. Their nongovernmental partners are the Jean and Julius Tahija Family Foundation, an Indonesian philanthropic organization that employs more than 250 workers for the project; Gadjah Mada University, which provides technical expertise and laboratory analysis; the Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors, a U.S. nonprofit that assists donors and charitable organizations; and the emerging Infectious Diseases Program, a joint effort of the University of Singapore and Duke University that contributes advice on dengue control and validates laboratory techniques.

Public partners include municipal and regional Indonesian government agencies in Yogjakarta that have considerable experience with dengue control and surveillance; the Indonesian Ministry of Health, which observes the project and is considering the possibility of using the strategy elsewhere in Indonesia; and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), which supplies technical assistance regarding mosquitoes, population surveys and educational strategies."

No comments:

Post a Comment