Projects

 

Background (brief):
a. Burden: Outbreaks of Aedes-borne arboviruses, including dengue, chikungunya, and Zika, are becoming
a concerning issue across the globe. The World Health Organization (WHO) has estimated that about half
of the world population is at risk of Dengue infection with around 100-400 million Dengue infections
occurring each year. Bangladesh experienced the greatest number of cases and deaths in 2023, with
321179 cases and 1705 deaths in this year.
b. Knowledge gap: While cluster-randomized controlled trials (cRCTs) are ongoing to assess the
epidemiological impact of insecticide-based spatial repellents (SRs) in different transmission settings to
inform World Health Organization (WHO) guidance, there remains a critical gap in implementation
evidence—particularly in complex, high-density urban environments like Dhaka. These settings pose
particular difficulties regarding sustained product use, community engagement, equitable access, and
integration into existing health systems.
c. Relevance: This study will evaluate the entomological and epidemiological efficacy, feasibility,
acceptability, and cost of implementing community-based spatial repellents (SR) in high-risk wards of
Dhaka. It will also look at how much people in the community are willing to pay and what factors affect
their choice of SR. By adding to ongoing RCT data, it will create operational evidence that is specific to
the situation to help national policy and WHO recommendations for fair and scalable SR deployment in
urban areas where Aedes mosquitoes are common.
Hypothesis (if any):
Use of spatial repellents leads to improved Aedes control and a reduced risk of dengue infection in urban
Dhaka.
Objectives:
Main Objectives:

1. 1. To evaluate the effectiveness of a spatial repellent in reducing Aedes mosquito density in urban Dhaka.

1. 1. To assess the feasibility of implementing a community-based spatial repellent intervention, including
      acceptability, usage, and adherence.
      Methods:
      This implementation trial will utilize a comprehensive monitoring and evaluation framework integrating
      entomological, epidemiological, economic, and socio-behavioral data to assess the effectiveness, feasibility,
      and scalability of SRs in urban Dhaka.