Dengue fever — contracted from the bite of an infected Aedes aegypti mosquito — can be found in most tropical areas. An estimated 2.5 billion people — over 40 percent of the world’s population — live in places where dengue is a risk. An estimated 500,000 people with severe dengue require hospitalization each year, a large proportion of whom are children. About 2.5 percent of those with severe dengue die.
FHI 360 is actively targeting prevention of dengue fever by partnering with the Eliminate Dengue program. Our experts are developing a new biological control strategy that will reduce or incapacitate the mosquito populations that transmit dengue. This new technique could offer an environmentally safe, sustainable and cost-effective measure to control the dengue virus. It would eliminate the need to rely on community behavioral change or insecticide products. Field tests in Australia have shown very promising results. FHI 360 is facilitating the program’s activities within Vietnam and Thailand. In collaboration with in-country partners, we have identified field test sites and have been working to ensure that:
- Communities are well informed
- They have accurate information about the program
- Local concerns have been incorporated into the research program
