Awareness Campaign Helps Combat the Spread of Chikungunya

FETP fellow Dr. Sabiha Zahid (fourth to the left) leading a group of health students during the Chikungunya campaign in Dhaka, Bangladesh on June 2017.

FETP fellows Dr. Omar Qayum (second from left) and Dr. Sirajul Islam (third from left) sharing chikungunya information with a community member in Dhaka, Bangladesh on June 17, 2017.

A chikungunya outbreak was identified in Dhaka in May 2017. In July 2017 the Government of Bangladesh activated its Emergency Operations Center for the first time in response to the outbreak, prompting the dissemination of prevention messages to the community.

Bangladesh’s Institute of Epidemiology, Disease Control and Research (IEDCR) assigned 11 Advanced Field Epidemiology Training Program (FETP) fellows as key organizers of a one-day Chikungunya Awareness Campaign to perform Ministry of Health senior level duties. FETP fellows were responsible for coordinating logistics to organize approximately 860 health workers into teams and lead them in conducting household visits in 11 (out of the 92) selected areas of the city.

FETP fellows also assisted staffing the Chikungunya Control Room at IEDCR where they were responsible for answering the hotline, counseling chikungunya patients on treatment and prognosis, and disseminating evidence-based awareness messages to the public. Additionally, an FETP fellow conducted a study (May-Oct 2017) to better understand chikungunya prevalence in two areas of Dhaka and knowledge, attitudes, and practices regarding chikungunya prevention.

Countries and territories where chikungunya cases have been reported
(as of May 29, 2018)*