Programme Dengue Patrol Nationwide

           

           The Dengue Patrol Programme goes Nationwide Sanofi Pasteur together with the Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Health launches a dengue education initiative to address the rising dengue epidemic in Malaysia. Putrajaya, Malaysia - 5 March 2014 – Sanofi Pasteur, the vaccines division of Sanofi (EURONEXT: SAN and NYSE: SNY) together with the joint effort of the Ministry of Education and Ministry of Health have launched the Dengue Patrol (DP) Programme – which is set to go nationwide this year. 

              The DP programme which was launched initially in 2011 as a pilot programme is part of Sanofi Pasteur’s ongoing commitment to take proactive measures to intensify awareness on dengue and involve public participation, especially from the younger generation. In line with the government’s aim to educate and create public awareness on various health matters, the DP programme is aimed at advocating prevention against this disease and spearheading dengue prevention activities in the respective school’s immediate communities. This year, the DP programme is set to expand its reach nationwide to all schools in Malaysia. The launch ceremony was officiated by Yang Berhormat Tuan P. Kamalanathan A/L P. Panchanathan, the Deputy Minister of Education II from the Ministry of Education, who spoke on the urgency and timeliness of the DP programme, “The Dengue epidemic in Malaysia is a serious and pressing matter to the nation. Dengue is an infection that does not recognize national or provincial boundaries and is spreading with an amplified frequency of outbreaks. Everyone is aware that dengue is serious, but yet people continue to be apathetic about prevention methods. 

                We need a multi-stakeholder approach to address the situation – effort comes not only from the government – but also from individuals and communities.” The objectives of DP Programme are to intensify awareness on dengue and improve public education. This programme aims to recruit students nationwide to form Dengue Patrols in their respective schools to initiate activities that encourage the prevention of dengue and protection against Aedes mosquitoes. The DP programme features a six-week long campaign with activities relating to dengue health awareness and dengue health education that will be supervised by the selected teacher advisor. The programme consists of six compulsory elements that need to be incorporated by the students into their schools and respective communities – these elements range from community outreach programmes, the creation of a mosquito cartoon series and a dance movement. As part of the programme, each school will receive a RM1, 000 grant from Sanofi Pasteur to carry out the activities. A total of seven winners will be chosen at the end of the campaign while consolation prizes will be awarded to all participants of the programme. “The Dengue Patrol Programme initiated by Sanofi Pasteur is an excellent initiative that is aimed at cultivating strong civic consciousness amongst children. It will inculcate the values of caring and taking action while educating them about ways they can protect their community against this disease. We are very happy with the outcome of this campaign over the past years, it has yielded tremendous results towards addressing this health challenge – we are excited for this programme to go nationwide.” added Yang Berhormat P. Kamalanathan. Deaths from dengue fever have nearly tripled in Malaysia this year, compared to the same period in 2013. Recent data has shown the gravity of this disease escalating quickly, with this year being at its peak with over a whopping 302.2% of increase in the number of cases as compared to 20131. According to recent statistics, the dengue fever cases have currently reached up to 13,915 cases and 25 fatalities over the past eight weeks of 20141. “We at Sanofi Pasteur strongly believe it is important for children to be aware of health issues affecting their community. 

                    We are happy to be able to contribute to this important initiative together with the support of the Ministry of Education and Ministry of Health,” said Baptiste de Clarens, Vaccine Head Malaysia / Singapore / Brunei, Sanofi Pasteur. The DP Programme has proved to be an enriching experience for participating students and overwhelming requests have led to the expansion of this programme on a national scale. The DP Programme is part of a long-term initiative for schools in Malaysia and is set to continue for the years to come. With the continuous support from the Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Health, this meaningful initiative is set for 2014 and beyond to ensure widespread efforts in all parts of the country. About Dengue Dengue is a threat to nearly half of the world’s population. Currently, there is no specific treatment available for dengue. It is a health priority in many countries of Latin America and Asia where epidemics occur regularly. The WHO estimates up to 100 millions infections per year but the overall number of people infected with dengue globally is not fully known. The WHO has set the target to estimate the true burden of dengue by 2015. Dengue is underreported because it is often misdiagnosed due to the limitations of the surveillance system and the large spectrum of clinical symptoms from mild non-specific illness to life threatening complications. Each year, 500,000 people, mostly children, are affected with dengue hemorrhagic fever (DHF), the severe form of the disease. DHF is a leading cause of 1 “Govt going all out against dengue Menace” The Star, 21 February 2014. hospitalization, placing tremendous pressure on health system and strained medical resources with a heavy economic and social impact. Timely access to appropriate health care is critical to reduce the risk of mortality in case of severe dengue. The WHO has set the target to reduce dengue mortality by 50% and reduce morbidity by 25% by 2020. About Sanofi Pasteur’s Dengue Vaccine Clinical Program Sanofi Pasteur has been working on a dengue vaccine for more than 20 years. 

                   Sanofi Pasteur dengue vaccine is the world’s most clinically, and industrially, advanced candidate vaccine. Sanofi Pasteur’s dengue vaccine candidate has been evaluated in clinical studies (Phase I, II) in adults and children in the U.S., Asia and Latin America. Results of the first efficacy clinical study published in The Lancet show evidence of the vaccine candidate to protect against dengue fever caused by three dengue virus types. The results confirm the good safety profile of Sanofi Pasteur’s dengue vaccine candidate.2 Large-scale phase III clinical studies with 31,000 children and adolescents are ongoing in Latin America (Mexico, Colombia, Honduras, Puerto Rico and Brazil) and in Asia (the Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia, Indonesia, and Thailand). These studies follow the highest standards from the International Conference on Harmonization of Technical Requirements for Registration of Pharmaceuticals for Human Use (ICH). Additional information, photos and videos about Sanofi Pasteur dengue vaccine candidate are available on the web at http://www.dengue.info. About Sanofi Sanofi, a global and diversified healthcare leader, discovers, develops and distributes therapeutic solutions focused on patients’ needs. Sanofi has core strengths in the field of healthcare with seven growth platforms: diabetes solutions, human vaccines, innovative drugs, rare diseases, consumer healthcare, emerging markets and animal health.

             Sanofi is listed in Paris (EURONEXT: SAN) and in New York (NYSE: SNY). Sanofi Pasteur, the vaccines division of Sanofi Group, provided more than 1.6 billion doses of vaccine in 2009, making it possible to immunize more than 500 million people across the globe. A world leader in the vaccine industry, Sanofi Pasteur offers the broadest range of vaccines protecting against 20 infectious diseases. The company's heritage, to create vaccines that protect life, dates back more than a century. Sanofi Pasteur is the largest company entirely dedicated to vaccines. Every day, the company invests more than EUR 1 million in research and development. For more information, please visit: www.sanofipasteur.com.