What is the Dengue virus?• An infectious disease caused by a virus• It is transmitted by the Aedes Aegypti mosquito• Each year around 100 million people are infected with Dengue globallyDengue in Brazil:• Highest concentration of infection – big cities• Favourable climate conditions – heat, heavy rain• Worst year on record: 2000/01 – around 400 thousand people infected•Considered by the Government to be the most serious health problemHow can Dengue be prevented?

• Preventing the mosquito from breedingWhere does the mosquito breed?• In standing water: neglected swimming pools, open water reservoirs, flower pots Dengue in São Paulo:• Biggest city in the country (12 million people)• City Hall wanted to launch a massive communication campaign• PR Actions – reach the target population more directly - poor neighbourhoods, opinion and community leaders, media, clubs, churches, schools.Outcome: • The number of cases of Dengue dropped 92% in 2008 in comparison with 2007 • January and February 2009 there were only 12 cases which represents a significant decrease in the number of cases if compared with 57 cases reported in March 2008 • 172 informational reports about Dengue

• Municipal Health Department indentified the areas with the greatest risk of spreading Dengue • Medical specialists all agreed that informing the population was of utmost importance in preventing the spread of the disease• The PR campaign needed to reach different target people:-Housewives-Retired people-Shop owners-Homeowners-Community leaders-Religious leaders-Opinion leaders-Media• The objective was to reduce the number of cases in São Paulo.

• Produce a variety of educational materials: Folders, posters, press releases, photos and videos to distribute to religious and community leaders and the Media • Train volunteers to make presentations in clubs and associations• Establish partnerships for a joint effort with civic organizations to search out mosquito breeding grounds and distribute educational materials• Identify people to appear in TV reports (e.g. infected people, doctors, etc)• Participate in Social Media (Web 2.0)• Negotiate individually with various Media outlets, offering ready made reports about the disease• Monitor the information divulged by the Media at all times, in order to correct and clarify as needed• One particular problem that surfaced was with breeding grounds in empty and locked houses.

The solution: Persuade landlords and real state agents to allow City Hall staff to inspect these buildings.

• 172 educational reports about Dengue were produced: -70 broadcast on the radio;-23 broadcast on TV;-59 published in newspapers and magazines; -20 appeared on the Internet.• In 2008, due to the involvement and mobilization of the society at large, the number of cases was 216, while in 2007 it was 2624. Therefore, following the campaign, there was a decrease of 92% in the number of cases.• Between July and November 2008, no cases of dengue were reported in the entire city of São Paulo (12 million people)• In January and February 2009 there were only 12 cases which represents a significant decrease in the number of cases if compared with the 57 cases reported in March 2008.

• “Bombard” the population with information about Dengue, on three fronts:- Get space in the Media, at no cost to City Hall given that the information provided was of social relevance.- Identify opinion and community leaders, religious organisations and civic associations to distribute educational material and schedule informational presentations.- Manage PR campaigns on the streets of the neighbourhoods with the highest number of cases.

• Campaign organized by São Paulo City Hall (Municipal Health Department), public entity responsible for the combat and prevention of diseases in the city.• In 2007, the highest number of cases in São Paulo on record: 3,653 people infected..• Dengue control depends on the involvement of the population to eliminate the breeding grounds.• Municipal sanitation workers are not allowed to enter people’s houses to inspect and instruct on how to eliminate the breeding grounds for the mosquito without the homeowner’s permission.• The population needed to be well informed, involved and motivated in order to combat Dengue.