full article
Background
Community participation is vital to prevent and control the spread of dengue in Latin America. Initiatives
such as the integrated management strategy for dengue prevention and control (IMS-Dengue) and
integrated vector management (IVM) incorporate social mobilisation and behavioural change at the
community level as part of a wider strategy to control dengue. These strategies aim to improve the efficacy,
cost-effectiveness, environmental impact and sustainability of vector control strategies. Community
empowerment is a key aspect of the strategy as it allows the local population to drive eradication of the
disease in their environment. Through the patio limpio campaign, the concept of community participation
has been employed in Mexico to raise awareness of the consequences of dengue. Patio limpio consists of
training local people to identify, eliminate, monitor and evaluate vector breeding sites systematically in
households under their supervision. A community participation programme in Guerrero State found that
approximately 54% were clean and free of breeding sites. Households that were not visited and assessed
had a 2.4-times higher risk of developing dengue than those that were. However, after a year, only 30% of
trained households had a clean backyard. This emphasises the need for a sustainable process to
encourage individuals to maintain efforts in keeping their environment free of dengue.
In order to counter the significant public health burden
of dengue in Latin America, the Pan American Health
Organization (PAHO) has developed a regional initiative
that utilises public participation at community
level to encourage behavioural change as part of a
wider strategy to control dengue.1 The programme,
known as the integrated management strategy for
dengue prevention and control (IMS-Dengue), aims
to promote the integration of key components to prevent
and control dengue, including integrated vector
management (IVM) (Fig. 1).2,3
This article discusses how community participation
is vital to prevent and control the spread of dengue in
Latin America.
Opinion
In this artricle, using Integration Management Strategy for Dengue Prevention and control (IMS-Dengue) and Intergrated Vector Management (IVM). Its key elements are social mobilisation, environmental management, epidemiological and entomological surveillance, and chemical and biological control.
Social mobilisation integrates different members of the community, from householders to political leaders, in order to raise awareness of dengue, deliver resources and services and ensure sustained community participation.
Community empowerment is one of the most important elements of the IVM strategy, allowing the local population, who most suffer the consequences of dengue, to drive eradication of the disease in their environment. Public participation is necessary at a number of stages in the local vector control strategy: in assessing the community’s problems and needs, in implementing activities, and in evaluating and monitoring strategy.
In this artricle, using Integration Management Strategy for Dengue Prevention and control (IMS-Dengue) and Intergrated Vector Management (IVM). Its key elements are social mobilisation, environmental management, epidemiological and entomological surveillance, and chemical and biological control.
Social mobilisation integrates different members of the community, from householders to political leaders, in order to raise awareness of dengue, deliver resources and services and ensure sustained community participation.
Community empowerment is one of the most important elements of the IVM strategy, allowing the local population, who most suffer the consequences of dengue, to drive eradication of the disease in their environment. Public participation is necessary at a number of stages in the local vector control strategy: in assessing the community’s problems and needs, in implementing activities, and in evaluating and monitoring strategy.
Sustainable programmes and modification of individual
behaviour are essential in mosquito-control
initiatives. This means that individual households must
accept responsibility for the control of mosquitoes in
their surroundings. However, to maintain sustainability,
such efforts should continue as long as the threat of
dengue exists and become culturally embedded. To
enable this, capacity-building and training of individuals
in surveillance, laboratory diagnosis, case management
and vector control are important for effective
community interventions to be carried out.
As part of the community mobilisation framework, leadership support from local political, religious and community heads is crucial to engage the local population. A multidisciplinary approach, for example between vector control personnel, entomologists, anthropologists, epidemiologists and social marketing experts, is also an important aspect of community mobilisation.*
*Parks W, Lloyd L. Planning Social Mobilization and Communication for Dengue Fever Prevention and Control. A Step-by-Step Guide. Geneva, Switzerland: WHO, 2004 [cited 17 December 2011]. Available from: http://whqlibdoc.who.int/ publications/2004/9241591072.pdf.
As part of the community mobilisation framework, leadership support from local political, religious and community heads is crucial to engage the local population. A multidisciplinary approach, for example between vector control personnel, entomologists, anthropologists, epidemiologists and social marketing experts, is also an important aspect of community mobilisation.*
*Parks W, Lloyd L. Planning Social Mobilization and Communication for Dengue Fever Prevention and Control. A Step-by-Step Guide. Geneva, Switzerland: WHO, 2004 [cited 17 December 2011]. Available from: http://whqlibdoc.who.int/ publications/2004/9241591072.pdf.
I agree with this article miss Amaliah. It did help us to combat dengue infestation during our community service in Banjarnegara few months back. Awesome review!
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