During her two-day training at the Rotary Leadership Institute in June 2024, meant for incoming club presidents and district leaders, Suparna Shetty from RC Manipal Hills, RID 3182, got to know that Rotary Action Groups are funding service projects and community initiatives of clubs “if the focus areas are of mutual interests.” At that time, dengue outbreak was at its peak (June-July) in Manipal with rising cases of this disease among its 50,000 people, including migrant workers.
After she took charge as club president in July 2024, Suparna was approached by doctors from primary health centres “for help in the distribution of flyers and awareness material in the fight against dengue to sensitise the communities across Manipal.” This SOS from the doctors, “set me thinking… I googled and found that there is a Rotarians Against Malaria Global (RAMG), a virtual RAG network which is fighting vector-borne diseases in many parts of the world. I emailed Dr Jen Parer, secretary of RAMG, living in the US, to know if he is interested in partnering with our club in a joint fight against dengue,” recalls the club’s IPP.
Within three hours, Dr Parer replied to her email, and from then on it was a steady exchange of correspondence between her and his RAMG team in the US. This finally led to the sanctioning of $2,500 as a grant for the five-month anti-dengue campaign from Feb-June 2025 that touched over 15,000 lives in Manipal.
Multifaceted campaign
Through a network of coalition with schools, colleges, PHCs, district health officials and municipal authorities, “we touched every nook and corner of Manipal. Our army of volunteers — 150 NSS boys and girls from MIT, Manipal, 300 ASHA workers, anganwadi teachers, Department of Community Medicine staff from the MAHE University, 32 health officials and 15 Rotarians from our club — went door-to-door across the nine wards of the urban primary health centre (UPHC, Manipal) to distribute flyers and sensitise the vulnerable families,” explains Suparna.
On second Sundays, the volunteers cleaned public sewers, removed garbage and litter on the streets, and distributed flyers with dos and don’ts to ward off vector-borne diseases. “We planted 250 tulsi plants, 50 neem saplings and many lemongrass patches on the banks of Manipal lake to make nature our ally in our fight against dengue.”
BP apparatuses, glucometers and torches were distributed to healthcare providers including ASHA workers, PHC staff and anganwadi teachers who visited remote areas to educate the communities. Eco-friendly signages were put up with cryptic messages on ways to tackle dengue. “Over 10,000 handbills in English and Kannada were distributed throughout our five-month campaign; and two rallies were flagged off by the Udupi district commissioner K Vidya Kumari. Around 300 volunteers took part in each walkathon carrying placards and banners against dengue,” says Suparna. Medicine kits worth ₹50,000 were distributed to families in slum colonies and vulnerable areas considered susceptible to malaria and dengue.
On World Peace and Understanding Day (Feb 23), a motor rally was kickstarted by SP Kumar Chandra with the participation of 100 Rotarians and RID 3182 officials. While Suparna and her team took to social media for a digital outreach, over 120 school students were also roped in on weekend clean-up drives in slum colonies and vulnerable places. “Through skits, mural paintings and litter clean-up, we drove home the message of healthy living.” RAMG caps, street banners and murals spread the anti-dengue message across Manipal streets and bylanes.
Suparna wants to give a “shout-out to Akaoma Onyemelukwe, a global development expert from Africa, for her critical role in getting us the RAMG grant for our anti-dengue campaign.” The new club president Suresh Rai has assured her that the “Sunday clean-up drive will be continued with the help of student volunteers this year too,” as it has to do with awareness creation in the vulnerable groups.