Community Assessment on Understanding, Involvement, and Action in The Prevention of Dengue Fever: A Case Study of Mvita Sub-County, Mombasa County, Kenya

Abstract

Dengue fever is a mosquito-borne viral disease transmitted by the female Aedes Aegypti species. There has been a dramatic increase in Dengue cases globally, many cases being asymptomatic or mild. WHO reports an 8-fold increase in cases over the last two decades, 5.2 million cases in 2019, compared to 2.4 million in 2010 and 505,430 cases in 2000, with a noted increase in fatality cases from 960 to 4032 between years 2000 and 2015. Cases have increased over the last years, with approximately 2.5 billion people at risk (WHO 2019). An estimated 50 million cases occur worldwide annually, with an estimated 500,000 people with DHF requiring hospitalization, the majority being children of less than five years, of whom 2.5% of those affected die. The first Dengue fever outbreak in Kenya was in 1982 in the coastal region, with outbreaks from April-June 2013 and March-June 2014 coinciding with long rains that provide a conducive breeding ground. Mombasa County has environmental conditions favoring mosquito proliferation and interaction with humans, such as a warm climate, high rainfall, and overcrowding. This study realized a major misconception about how Dengue fever is spread when 48% of the respondents recommended sleeping under a mosquito net as the key preventive measure. This study recommends community engagement and sensitization to update on the correct Dengue Fever information, possibly via health promotion activities such as community dialogues, radio talk shows, commercials, and community action days to clear the environment of all items listed and identified as possible Aedes mosquito breeding sites.