Submission ID 131718
| Issue/Objective | Dengue is a significant public health risk in Dhaka, Bangladesh, one off the world's largest, most densely populated megacities. More than 320,000 dengue cases were reported in 2023, including almost 54,000 children and 1,705 deaths. Incidence has remained high with over 100,000 cases identified in both 2024 and 2025. Spread by Aedes mosquitoes, which preferentially breed in standing water, dengue transmission is facilitated in urban settings by poor quality housing, inadequate waste management, and high population density. Additionally, the escalating impacts of climate change in Bangladesh are prolonging the Aedes breeding season. Standard Aedes control relies on fogging with pyrethroid insecticides, but mosquitoes show increasing resistance to these chemicals, and alternative vector control approaches are needed. |
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| Methodology/Approach | We are conducting a mixed-methods cluster randomized controlled trial (cRCT) in Dhaka to evaluate the effectiveness of community mobilization in reducing the risk of dengue among children aged 2-12 years. The primary objective is to measure the effect of community mobilization on dengue seroconversion among children with secondary objectives examining the implementation process, intervention fidelity, and social acceptability of the community interventions. Informed by a prior cRCT, the intervention approach is Socializing Evidence for Participatory Action, a health promotion strategy that emphasizes the socialization of local evidence to communities so they can reflect, discuss, and act collectively. |
| Results | The cRCT intervention phase began in February 2026 and includes community meetings, co-design workshops, and the implementation of intervention activities in 30 study clusters throughout the dengue season (April to October). Intervention plans and field observations from all clusters will be analyzed descriptively in summer 2026 to characterize communities' chosen interventions and early adaptations, and these results will be further contextualized by descriptive analyses of baseline questionnaire data (e.g., socio-demographic, housing and built environment, and social capital variables). |
| Discussion/Conclusion | We will share insights on the practical approaches to implementing and evaluating a community mobilization intervention for dengue, the fastest growing mosquito-borne disease globally. The preliminary results of our trial's intervention phase will demonstrate the potential for this participatory approach to infectious disease control, with subsequent findings on intervention effectiveness anticipated in early 2027. |
| Presenters and Affiliations | Laura Pierce Centre de recherche en santé publique, Université de Montréal Marie-Catherine Gagnon-Dufresne University of Montreal School of Public Health, Centre de recherche en santé publique, Université de Montréal Claudia Robayo University of Montreal School of Public Health, Centre de recherche en santé publique, Université de Montréal Mollah Mohd. Shamsul Kabir Centre of Excellence for Science of Implementation and Scale-up, BRAC James P Grant School of Public Health, BRAC University Sakib Rahman BRAC James P Grant School of Public Health at BRAC University Jony Barnard Mackfield BRAC James P Grant School of Public Health at BRAC University Md. Fahad Zamil Infectious Diseases Division, icddr,b Mohammad Shafiul Alam Enteric and Respiratory Infections, Infectious Diseases Division, icddr,b Malay Kanti Mridha Center for Non-communicable Diseases and Nutrition, BRAC James P Grant School of Public Health at BRAC University Valéry Ridde Institute for Research on Sustainable Development, CEPED (IRD-Université de Paris/Sorbonne, INSERM) Kate Zinszer University of Montreal School of Public Health, Centre de recherche en santé publique, Université de Montréal |
