Protecting Guam Villages from the Dengue Virus
Thanks to our partners SC Johnson, Vestergaard, UPS and The UPS Foundation, villages across Guam are receiving essential supplies to help protect vulnerable populations from the dengue virus. The first locally acquired case of dengue in Guam was confirmed in September 2019 and has continued to spread.
To support efforts in Guam, SC Johnson stepped forward with 5,000 mosquito repellent pump sprays. Vestergaard provided 5,000 long-lasting insecticidal bed nets, while UPS and The UPS Foundation provided in-kind transportation of the bed nets. All of the donations were generously made through the CDC Foundation.
Dengue is not spread from person to person, but rather is one of a number of dangerous viruses spread through the bite of the Aedes aegypti mosquito, so mosquito control and bite prevention efforts are critical.
In Guam, the repellent pump sprays were delivered to villages during a two-week, village-to-village drive organized by the Guam Department of Public Health and Social Services (DPHSS), which also provided educational materials on how to properly apply the repellent and protect against mosquito bites. During a point-in-time count of Guam’s homeless population, DPHSS also issued more than 1,000 mosquito repellent pump sprays to Guam’s homeless population through the Guam Homeless Coalition. Plans are currently being rolled out for distribution of the bed nets.
“We’re working with wonderful partners in our community…to help distribute this generous donation from the CDC Foundation,” said DPHSS Director Linda Unpingco DeNorcey, MPH. And with the help of these donations, communities in Guam with the greatest need will now have more protection against the dengue virus.
