January 19, 2024 (Yap, FSM) – The Pacific Island Health Officers’ Association (PIHOA), through funding support from the U.S. Department of State’s Diminishing Dengue in the Indo-Pacific with Climate Services: Developing Predictive Models Towards a Regional Early Warning System (EWS) Against Dengue grant, has partnered with the Federated States of Micronesia’s Yap State Department of Health Services (DHS) to help reduce the threat of dengue by establishing systems and building local capacity for the early detection of Dengue as an effective approach to prevent and control Dengue and minimize harm to vulnerable communities.

During the week-long visit in the first week of November 2023, PIHOA’s vector management team (Dr. Limb Hapairai, Regional Medical Entomologist; Dr. Tomás León, Regional Climate Sciences Consultant; and Ms. Jacquelyn Lefagoyal, Data and Community Engagement Assistant), introduced the dengue early warning systems project to key Yap DHS staff. The team also met with stakeholders, including the Yap Weather Service Office and the Yap State Environmental Protection Agency, to coordinate data availability and future EWS activities.

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