Addressing a dire developmental need, Fairbanks International School of Communication Director Dong Hwan Kwon of Asia-Pacific Nazarene Theological Seminary has received an initial $20,000 project grant from Korea Food for the Hungry International to develop community through Dengue prevention and control, which will eventually serve the Philippines and surrounding Southeast 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 Feed the Hungry states 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 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 with Food for the Hungry hopes to develop relevant communication strategies to bring this knowledge-base to Southeast Asian communities, develop capacity building workshops, and help connect local counterparts to aid in the efforts. 
 
The multi-year project aims to conduct foundational research in the Rowena community, located just behind the APNTS campus. During this initial stage, a research group will create a pilot program and 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 at APNTS, the project proposes a holistic approach to Dengue and 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.