30th August 2024: To tackle the growing threat of mosquito-borne diseases, the Thane Municipal Corporation has teamed up with Godrej Consumer Products Limited (GCPL) to launch a public awareness campaign focused on preventing malaria and dengue. This initiative is a part of GCPL’s flagship CSR program – Elimination of Mosquito-Borne Endemic Diseases (EMBED), which is an ongoing strategic effort aimed at reducing malaria and dengue cases and lowering the death rate to zero through a multipronged approach.
The public awareness initiative comes at a crucial time during the monsoon season, when the occurrence of mosquito-borne diseases like malaria and dengue significantly increases. Effective use of repellents and public awareness are vital to prevent outbreaks and control the spread of vector-borne diseases. As part of the campaign, a video has been released highlighting preventive measures, symptoms to watch for, and the importance of seeking timely medical intervention. Through this campaign, Thane Municipal Corporation and GCPL aim to equip citizens with the knowledge needed to protect themselves and their families from potentially life-threatening mosquito-borne diseases.
The public awareness video, produced by the Thane Municipal Corporation and supported by GCPL, will be shown throughout the city of Thane. Screenings will take place in 24 government offices, 6 hospitals, and at 3 major traffic signals, ensuring broad exposure. Additionally, the video will be circulated across WhatsApp groups of government officials to further expand its reach. With this wide distribution, it is expected that around 15,000 people will view the video daily, greatly enhancing its impact. The strategic placement of the video is designed to target high-traffic areas, ensuring the message reaches a diverse segment of the community. The campaign will be live for 5 months.
Mr. Sandip Malvi, Additional Municipal commissioner, of Thane Municipal Corporation, said, “We are proud to collaborate with Godrej Consumer Products’ EMBED program for a public awareness drive to fight the mosquito-borne diseases spike during the monsoons. The vigilant efforts of both public and private organizations are crucial in upholding public health. Proactive prevention is key to controlling any epidemic, and this awareness campaign across Thane will play an essential role in educating our citizens about preventing malaria and dengue. Together, we can reduce the incidence of these diseases and safeguard our community’s health.”
Speaking about the collaboration, Gayatri Divecha, Head – Sustainability & CSR, Godrej Industries Group, said, “With our long-standing partnership with the Thane Municipal Corporation, we continue to drive impactful public health outcomes. Every year millions of Indians are at risk of deadly mosquito-borne diseases. Our joint efforts aim to shed light on simple yet effective preventive measures everyone can take to protect themselves. The public awareness campaign is centered around an effective medium like video that is simple to understand and reaches thousands of people across Thane. Through EMBED we have already reached out to over 62,000 people in 100 slums in Thane and through this partnership, we aim to amplify this reach.”
Launched in 2015, EMBED has significantly impacted malaria and vector-borne disease control in India, reaching 2.7 million households across 39 districts, including 3,000 slums and 10,000 villages. To date, the program has helped protect 28.4 million people from vulnerable communities from vector-borne diseases. The program has helped 5,225 villages out of 11,000 intervention villages become malaria-free. Moreover, the program has observed a 65% reduction in dengue cases in FY 2023-24. Initially focused on Madhya Pradesh, the program has expanded to Uttar Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, and Maharashtra, aiding in malaria elimination efforts.
In Maharashtra, EMBED now covers 100 slums in Thane, reaching over 62,000 people across 15,000 households. Partnering with Family Health India, we work closely with the government and ASHA workers to strengthen public health systems. Our collaboration with the Thane Municipal Corporation has been key in raising awareness and promoting healthier behavior around malaria and dengue.
