WITH dengue cases continuing to rise across Asia due to factors such as changing climate conditions, increased urbanisation, and population growth, a new regional collaboration has been launched to support ongoing efforts in addressing this growing public health threat.
In conjunction with ASEAN Dengue Day, the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) Asia Pacific and Takeda unveiled ‘United Against Dengue’ (UAD), a multi-year regional collaboration aimed at strengthening community resilience, promoting policy advocacy, and providing support.
“Through UAD, we aim to empower communities across Asia and beyond to take charge of their health and unite against dengue.
“Our focus is clear – to educate communities, advocate for sustainable dengue prevention measures, and support affected individuals and communities with care and assistance.
“The collaboration with Takeda reinforces WHO and ASEAN Member States’ commitment to combating dengue through sustainable solutions, improving access to preventive health services, education, and healthcare support to reduce its impact on communities,” said Juja Kim, Deputy Regional Director for Asia Pacific, IFRC.
“Joining forces with IFRC, we aim to strengthen the foundation of community resilience by advancing disease literacy, enhancing early action capabilities, and empowering local health systems.
“UAD is designed to strengthen and complement existing public and community efforts to combat dengue collectively and ensure that communities are better equipped to anticipate, prepare for, and respond to dengue outbreaks,” said Dion Warren, Area Head of India & Southeast Asia (I-SEA), Takeda.
“By collaborating across sectors – including governments, NGOs, medical societies, and communities – and leveraging our collective strengths and resources, we can tackle dengue’s complex challenges more effectively and achieve greater impact, together.
“This collaboration is a call to action, underscoring the urgent need for unified, multi-sectoral action,” he said.
Strategic focus on education, advocacy, and support
The collaboration is structured around three strategic pillars: Educate, Advocate, and Support.
⦁ Educate: Build community resilience and readiness through impactful disease education and early preparedness. Efforts include community awareness campaigns, volunteer training using the Epidemic Control for Volunteers (ECV) toolkit, and hygiene promotion through community engagement. Enhanced surveillance systems and early action protocols will also be introduced to guide community responses and improve outcomes.
⦁ Advocate: Ensure the sustainability of preventive measures through policy work and stakeholder engagement. This includes working closely with policymakers, medical societies, and community organisations to support the integration of dengue prevention, management, and control into national strategies. Regional and national alignment across public health stakeholders is also prioritised to drive unified action and strengthen health system resilience for long-term impact.
⦁ Support: Provide care and assistance to communities and individuals affected by dengue.
These efforts represent the initial focus of UAD and are not exhaustive.
Additional initiatives will be introduced as UAD continues to respond to evolving community needs and opportunities for greater impact.
Kickstarting educational efforts is a partnership with the popular comic platform ‘The Woke Salaryman’ for the initiative’s first regional dengue educational content – a comic that will be translated into multiple languages.
Leveraging their unique brand of storytelling, the series highlights the impact of urbanisation on community ties in Asia and beyond.
It not only raises awareness about dengue but also underscores the critical role of community collaboration in disease prevention efforts.
Initially released in English, the comic series will be translated into Bahasa Melayu, with additional translations planned for languages beyond the region, including Spanish and French.
These will be shared through IFRC’s platforms.
This strategic initiative aims to broaden the campaign’s reach and deepen its impact, making crucial information accessible to diverse audiences across the region.
The burden of dengue continues to rise
Driven by climate change and rapid urbanisation, dengue has become endemic in over 100 countries, with Asia shouldering approximately 70 per cent of the global disease burden.
Thus far, in 2025, the Malaysian Ministry of Health’s IDENGUE dashboard has recorded 14,310 cases, with 16 fatalities (as of March 24, 2025).
While current efforts are valuable, a more integrated approach is essential to achieving the goal of zero preventable dengue deaths by 2030.
“Everyone has a role to play in the fight against dengue. UAD exemplifies the power of collaboration and community engagement in tackling this significant public health challenge.
“WHO commends this creative approach to reaching and educating communities across the region. Together, we believe we can make zero preventable deaths by 2030 in Southeast Asia and beyond possible,” said Dr Deepa Gamage, Public Health Specialist, Disease Control, WHO Representative Office for Malaysia, Brunei Darussalam, and Singapore.
“Dengue continues to pose a significant public health threat across Asia and beyond, requiring coordinated, multi-sectoral action at both regional and national levels,” said Prof Datuk Dr Zulkifli Ismail, Chairman of Asia Dengue Voice and Action (ADVA) and Dengue Prevention Advocacy Malaysia.
“Cross-sector collaboration will continue to be crucial for driving progress and protecting vulnerable populations from dengue.
“The UAD collaboration reflects a clear intent to catalyse collective efforts to advance dengue prevention and management.”
Complementing existing public health efforts
Aimed at enhancing dengue awareness and bolstering protection efforts, the UAD collaboration empowers communities through a multi-pronged approach: disease education, early action protocols, targeted public awareness campaigns, stakeholder engagement, and support for affected individuals and communities.
The initiative will be rolled out across Asia and beyond. Additional regional and local programmes will be launched to further drive collective action, enhance awareness, and support dengue prevention efforts.
