Effect of community-based intervention on awareness of dengue and its prevention among urban poor community in India: a systematic review approach

Abstract

Owing to increased epidemic activity and difficulties in controlling the insect vector, dengue has become a major public health problem globally. The prevention and control of dengue rely mainly on vector control methods. A systematic review was conducted using four databases (PubMed, Cochrane, Google Scholar and Scopus) and a manual search of the reference lists of the identified studies. Data from included studies were extracted, analyzed. Applying all inclusion and exclusion criteria 23 articles was included. Further relevant articles using this keywords Aedes dengue breeding habits housing and community intervention were selected. Eight studies combined community participation programme with dengue control tools. Findings of the published literature indicate that at baseline, almost half the respondents did not know that dengue is serious but preventable, or that it is transmitted by mosquitoes. The analysis showed that dengue vector control is carried out by vertically structured programmes of national, state, and local administrative bodies through fogging and larval control, without any involvement of community-based organizations, and that vector control efforts were conducted in an isolated and irregular way. The most productive container types for Aedes pupae were cement tanks, drums, and discarded containers. Evidence that community-based dengue control programmes alone and in combination with other control activities can enhance the effectiveness of dengue control programmes is weak. This review demonstrates a paucity of reliable evidence for the effectiveness of any dengue vector control method. Standardized studies of higher quality to evaluate and compare methods must be prioritized to optimize cost-effective dengue prevention. Clear best practice guidelines for the methodology of entomological studies should be developed.