CASE STUDY: How the Manila Department of Health fought dengue fever

Background
Dengue fever is ranked as the most deadly mosquito-borne viral illness in the world, and more than 100,000 people in the Philippines contract the disease every year, resulting in hundreds of deaths annually.

Aim
The Department of Health sought to remind people how to prevent the spread of dengue by distributing posters that people could take away and display in their homes. They wanted to communicate that it’s easy to fight the disease if people remember to keep their surroundings clean. Without anywhere to breed, mosquitoes can’t spread dengue.

Execution
Y&R Philippines created a poster (pictured) entitled ‘7 ways to prevent dengue fever’, which was distributed for people to display in their houses. The seven tips reminded people to replace water in flower vases, remove leaves from gutters, dispose of unused containers, clean water vessels weekly, cover water pails, wear self-protective clothing, and finally hang the poster at home.

The poster itself was no ordinary poster. Coated with the mosquito repellent Citronella, it actually helped drive away the disease-causing insects.

Results
According to the Department of Health's Disease Surveillance Report, the incidence of the disease dropped by 60.54 per cent in the period after copies of the poster were distributed (1 January to 4 February 2012), compared with the same time the previous year.

The campaign won Bronze in Outdoor at Spikes Asia 2012, and previously won at the annual Kidlat Awards in the Poster, Public Service; Design, Public Service categories.



Credits
Chief creative officer Marcus Rebeschini
Art director Sandy Salurio
Copywriter Badong Abesamis
Print producer Ariel Bautista
Accounts Chiqui Lara