Impact of customised community training program on the prevention and control of dengue fever: A study from India

The global threat of dengue has burdened the health systems of underdeveloped and developing countries. In such a scenario, a 'community training program' has become the only remedy for vector-borne diseases like dengue. The absence of any anti-viral therapy or licensed vaccination for dengue fever further underlines the importance of an awareness program. However, the employed interventions and attempts made so far, to bring about behavioural change have been proved inadequate. Given this, the authors strongly believe that a personalised/customised training program designed for a set of population has the potential to bring a significant impact on behavioural change in the masses. To prove this, an attempt was made among the semi-urban population (outskirts of Hyderabad city, India). The methodology involved (i) accessing baseline knowledge through the KAP survey (ii) deciding on control as well as experimental village based on the outcome of the entomological survey and spatial survey and (iii) designing training materials based on the outcome of the survey (iv) conducting of the customized training program in the same households where KAP survey was conducted (v) assessing the effectiveness of the customized training program. The customised materials included personalized videos, PowerPoint presentations, posters & pamphlets, games, activity sheets, demos, etc. The effectiveness of training was evaluated after six months using the "Difference in differences" (DID) methodology. The results revealed a positive impact of the customized and tailor-made training materials on knowledge, attitude, risk perception, and preventive practices scores. The encouraging outcome concerning behavioural change among the common masses could be attributed to the customised materials used for the training. The present study could help in empathizing the knowledge, attitude, and practice of a community in general and add a pragmatic value to the policy-makers in designing effective strategies to control dengue.