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Disease Prevention and Control / Communicable Diseases / Dengue

Risk Perception and Strategies for Mass Communication on Dengue in the Americas

(J.L. San Martín & M. Prado, PAHO Regional Program on Dengue)

Revista/Journal

This article was published in February 2004 in the Pan American Journal of Public Health / Revista Panamericana de Salud Pública, in Spanish, bibliographical reference Rev Panam Salud Publica; 15(2):135-9, 2004 Feb. The full text is available through the Journal / Revista: English | Spanish.

Contact the authors:
- José Luis San Martín
- Monica Prado

- PAHO Regional Program on Dengue
- Integrated Strategy (PowerPoint, 3625 KB)
- PAHO Dengue Page
- WHO Dengue Page
Abstract

Dengue is clearly a very serious public health problem. In the Americas, the number of dengue cases has been increasing since the 1960s, and outbreaks of the disease have been occurring more frequently. Furthermore, the density of infestation with the disease vector, the Aedes aegypti mosquito, is high in the Americas. The general strategy for preventing and controlling dengue and dengue hemorrhagic fever (DHF) is based on promoting behavior changes that lead to incorporating the community in controlling the disease, particularly the vector. In order to achieve this, mass-communication programs on dengue should have two primary aims: converting information into practice and encouraging the community to take over prevention and control measures. The new generation of programs should be designed based on the local sanitation structure (water distribution and waste disposal) as well as on information pertaining to community organizations and the roles of different family members. Furthermore, the new programs should incorporate all the following ten components (the so-called "decalogue" or "ten commandments on dengue"):

  1. epidemiological surveillance,
  2. intersectoral actions,
  3. community participation,
  4. managing the environment and basic services,
  5. patient care,
  1. case-reporting,
  2. education,
  3. use of insecticides and vector control,
  4. training, and
  5. preparing for emergencies.

Communication should be aimed at modifying the behavior of individuals and communities by empowering them to carry out the necessary prevention and control measures.