Driving home a message, the traditional way

Thiruvananthapuram: Old timers would still recall bullock carts decked up with movie posters or other campaign material doing the rounds in the city. That was a time when the automobile revolution was yet to take off and animal-drawn carts were a popular form of transport.

A bullock cart manoeuvring its way through a maze of traffic on the city roads would be an anachronism today but it is also eye-catching. And the perfect way to drive home a message, as the Department of Health has realised. Every year, the monsoon rains herald the epidemic season in the district as water-logged areas turn breeding grounds for mosquitoes. With dengue fever emerging as a major threat this year, the Directorate of Health Services has launched a pre-emptive campaign across the capital region.

Designed by the National Vector Borne Disease Control Programme (NVBDCP), the week-long IEC (Information, Education and Communication) campaign uses traditional methods of communication such as bullock cart and �chenda melam to grab public attention.

The campaign was flagged off from Vizhinjam on May 29. It will tour the dengue risk areas like Mukkola, Kattakkada, Vilavoorkkal, Nemam and Balaramapuram before concluding at Kudappanakkunnu on June 4. It uses public announcement and distribution of notices to drive home the message of fever control.