The Problem

theproblem : dengue

• Dengue is a mosquito-borne infection that causes a severe flu-like illness, and sometimes a potentially lethal complication called dengue haemorrhagic fever.
• Global incidence of dengue has grown dramatically in recent decades.
• About two fifths of the world’s population are now at risk.
• Dengue is found in tropical and sub-tropical climates worldwide, mostly in urban and semi-urban areas.
• Dengue haemorrhagic fever is a leading cause of serious illness and death among children in some Asian countries.
• There is no specific treatment for dengue, but appropriate medical care frequently saves the lives of patients with the more serious dengue haemorrhagic fever.
• The only way to prevent dengue virus transmission is to combat the disease-carrying mosquitoes.
• There is no known dedicated global organization/charity/ programme to deal with the education or prevention of dengue – until now.

theproblem : malaria

• A child dies of malaria every 30 seconds.
• Malaria is both preventable and curable.
• More than one million people die of malaria every year, mostly infants, young children and pregnant women and most of them in Africa.
• Although some are under development, no vaccine is currently available for malaria; preventative drugs must be taken continuously to reduce the risk of infection. These prophylactic drug treatments are often too expensive for most people living in endemic areas.