Synergies between technology, participation and citizen science in a community-based dengue prevention program

Abstract

As mosquito-borne diseases like Dengue and Zika continue to develop, traditional approaches have not curbed the epidemics, and evidence suggests community-based programs are an effective alternative. In Paraguay, more than 8,300 cases of dengue were reported in 2019. Recent entomological surveys found the percentage of houses with Aedes Aegypti larvae is as high as 20% in the capital. In this context and based upon the experiences of Camino Verde and DengueChat in Nicaragua, we started the TopaDengue project, a community-based intervention, supported by ICTs, in one of the most vulnerable territories of the Paraguayan capital, the Bañado Sur of Asunción. In order to inform our design of the socio-technical ICT platform, our fieldwork in this community explored the dynamic of interaction between researchers, facilitators, volunteers, the extended community, and technologies. Combining both paper and digital technologies with a continuous feedback loop between research, design, and community action, within a citizen science initiative, were key to strengthen socialization and management processes of a community-based entomological surveillance program.