The meeting between the Disease Prevention and Control Bureau (DPCB) of the Department of Health (DOH) and the UPRI Research and Creative Work Division (UPRI RCW) last September 11, 2024, was deemed vital to further the advancement of a stronger public health engagement and reimagining public health action. The meeting, attended by Dr. Kim Patrick Tejano and Ms. Emmalyn Tugas from the DOH’s National Aedes-borne Viral Diseases Prevention and Control Program (NAVDPCP); and Dr. Glecy C. Atienza, Mr. Dennis de la Torre, Ms. Alexa Samantha Hernandez, Mr. Ramon Christopher Caballero, and Mx. Mape Estellena, from the UPRI Research and Creative Work Division, focused on mapping out each institutions’ possible areas of collaboration under the Center for Climate and Health on Global Research on Disasters (CORD) Project on Dengue.
The CORD Project aims to intertwine fields of research, community engagement, creative work, and education, in addressing urgent issues and challenges surrounding dengue. During the meeting, Mr. de la Torre outlined the project’s components, highlighting the project’s hopes to not only prevent dengue outbreaks but also come up with evidence-based innovative strategies to engage and educate communities on dengue disease prevention. Important aspects of the project include the development of a dengue prediction model that incorporates climate change factors, strengthening the country’s dengue response; as well as a robust public information campaign that breaks away from traditional information dissemination campaigns.
As both institutions gear up for future collaborations, both the DOH and UPRI look forward to having these collaborative efforts lead toward innovative solutions that can help reduce the burden of dengue in the Philippines.