Autor: Vincent Vanzeveren

We are delighted to announce the winner of our global India Prize contest: X-Dengue, an initiative from Singapore, was selected from among the different entries and will receive $10,000 for their project. X-Dengue, which came into being after one of the co-founders caught dengue in 2011, is based on the idea that governments spend a lot of effort on gathering information on fresh outbreaks and dengue clusters, but that this information does not always reach people in time. The initiative therefore allowed people to register their preferred locations and to be notified of new dengue cases through a free-of-charge text message service. X-Dengue collaborated with the National Environment Agency in Singapore and now has thousands of registered users. The real-time notifications allow people to take additional precautions if they live near an affected area. The prize money will make it possible for X-Dengue to help build a similar system in India, where the number of cases has been on the rise. We are excited to see what impact this will have in India, where we are working to raise awareness of the disease. Congratulations to the winner!

In case you missed it, Break Dengue and the Break Dengue India Prize were key points in Philip Weiss’ TEDxGateway speech in Mumbai, India. He of the advances in modern healthcare, dengue remains one of the most widespread of the 17 neglected tropical diseases. Over 40% of the global population is at risk, and it’s time to look at dengue with new vision – yours.

We’re calling on you for help. Do you have an existing initiative or campaign to help us combat dengue fever in India? We want you to tell us about what you are doing and how it can help stop the rise of this crippling disease.

Join the competition by simply filling out the form and you’ll have a chance to win $10,000 to multiply the impact of your campaign.

In India, dengue has been declared hyperendemic by the World Health Organisation (WHO); and since 2007, the disease has steadily been on the rise. In fact, over the past two years the number of reported cases of dengue fever in India has more than doubled, but most healthcare professionals suggest that the actual number is in fact much, much higher.

The surging number of cases in India is mostly attributed to the rise of breeding grounds for the Aedes aegypti mosquito brought about by unplanned urban development and stagnant pools of water, among other things. With a growing need to raise awareness and seek out a solution to the widespread malady in the country, Break Dengue will be announcing something interesting at TEDxGateway in Mumbai, India on December 8. Don’t miss the surprise news from Philip Weiss during his TEDxGateway speech. Stay tuned to find out more.