Smile foundation, keeping its mission of extending a helping hand to needy people in the time of disaster, intervened when Chikungunya threatened to take the form of a epidemic.

Smile Foundation decided to intervene in worst-hit pockets across the Indian state of Madhya Pradesh. Barwaha in the state was found out to be badly affected with panic prevailing among people. The fever has already been threatening to be endemic.

This peculiar viral fever was turning epidemic with the victims fighting for survival more so as cost of medicines and availability of treatment to cure Chikungunya proved to be the problem.

Smile Foundation came forward to provide support to those needy patients who are unable to manage proper treatment and afford medicines on priority basis. Smile selected and intervened in the areas of Barwaha, Khargone and Kasravadh at the first phase covering the needy and poor section of the society with free medicines and medical treatment.

Along side, proper awareness generation programmes was carried out in the whole area. People were informed about Chikungunya and were conveyed with what precautions to be taken for prevention of the disease.

People were told to keep tanks, coolers, containers and utensils. Use of mosquito nets and keeping the surroundings clean and tidy were ensured in the areas. The awareness generation along with free treatment helped make people come out of the panic as well as curing many of them.

Chikungunya fever is a viral disease transmitted to humans by the bite of infected Aedes and Culex mosquitoes including the daytime biting of Aedes aegypti and Ae. albopictus species. Symptoms include fever, vomiting, headache, nausea, joint pain, lower back pain and rash. The symptoms are very similar to those of dengue but, unlike dengue, there is no hemorrhagic or shock syndrome form.