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 that community-based programs are an effective alternative. In Paraguay, more than 8,300 cases of dengue were reported in 2019. Recent entomological surveys found that the percentage of houses with Aedes aegypti larvae is as high as 20% in the capital. In this context and based on the experiences of Camino Verde and DengueChat in Nicaragua, we started the TopaDengue project, a community-based intervention, supported by ICTs (information and communication technologies), in one of the most vulnerable territories of the Paraguayan capital, the Bañado Sur of Asunción. To inform our design of the socio-technical ICT platform, our fieldwork in this community explored the dynamic of interaction among researchers, facilitators, volunteers, the extended community, and technologies. Combining both paper and digital technologies with a continuous feedback loop among research, design, and community action, within a citizen science initiative, were key to strengthening the socialization and management processes of a community-based entomological surveillance program.