Addressing a dire developmental need, Fairbanks International School of Communication(FISC director, Dr. Dong Hwan Kwon) of Asia-Pacific Nazarene Theological Seminary<(APNTS) has received initial $20,000 project grant from Korea Food for the Hungry International (KFHI) to develop community through Dengue prevention and control which will eventually serve the Philippines and surrounding south-east Asian countries.
Dengue Fever and Dengue Haemorrhagic Fever are serious mosquito-borne infections that can lead to a flu-like illness and even death. The project proposal from KFHI states that these illnesses have grown dramatically in the past few years and have threatened and taken the lives of many people in underdeveloped countries.
The World Health Organization (WHO) has indicated that it has a great knowledge base on Malaria, however there has been a great lack of communication in delivering that knowledge to local communities. Fairbanks International School of Communication (FISC) with KFHI hopes to develop relevant communication strategies to bring this WHO knowledge-base to south-east Asian communities, develop capacity building workshops, and help connect local counterparts to aid in the efforts.
The project is multi-year project aims to conduct its foundational research in the Rowenas community, located just behind the APNTS Campus. During this initial stage, the group will create a pilot program as well as conduct additional research to aid in the creation of an effective center for prevention and control in the later stages of this project. Together with the Holistic Child Development Program (Director, Dr. Floyd Cunningham) of APNTS, the project proposes a holistic approach to Dengue, which combines the efforts of medical experts, entomologists, local communities, and churches to work together to address the growing problem of Dengue. This approach views people as holistic entities that are spiritual, as well as biological and social beings. An integrated view such as this unifies community development with the work of the Lord. APNTS is proud to be a part of this initiative to build developmental bridges to the people around it.
