Summary: CHF 42,600 was allocated from the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies’ (IFRC) Disaster Relief Emergency Fund (DREF) on 1 July 2011 to support the Maldivian Red Crescent (MRC) in the conduct of risk communication/disease prevention and vector control activities in 190 island communities in support of the national response to the dengue outbreak.
Working closely with the ministries of health and education, MRC took the lead role in efforts to prevent the furthepread of the outbreak through public awareness and information campaigns in all 190 communities and in schools, as well as through broadcast media (TV). It also carried out vector control activities through clean up campaigns in some island communities severely or moderately-affected by the dengue outbreak. Although MRC is a fairly new national society, widespread community acceptance has been found in all communities as MRC has received positive support from all Atoll and island councils in carrying out different tasks. Implementation of the operation began on 1 July, and was completed on 30 September 2011.
