Humour-driven risk communication and community engagement to mitigate dengue: Lao People's Democratic Republic, 2024

In early 2024, Lao People's Democratic Republic experienced a surge in dengue cases approaching levels of its 2013 epidemic, underscoring the persistent threat of dengue during the monsoon season. Although awareness of preventive behaviours is high, inconsistent adoption has limited their effectiveness.

In response, the Ministry of Health, in collaboration with the World Health Organization, implemented an innovative, humour-driven risk communication and community engagement (RCCE) campaign targeting individuals who perceived dengue as a routine health concern.

To capture attention and increase message retention, the April to September campaign employed an actor dressed as a giant mosquito who deliberately and humorously interrupted daily activities. The strategy used pre-tested materials, a strong social media presence, and television and radio to promote mosquito control, symptom recognition and timely medical care for severe dengue. The impact was assessed through nationwide phone and online surveys and social media analytics.

The campaign reached almost 2.9 million unique users (68.2% of whom were using the country's most popular social media platform), generating more than 27 million content views and 86 342 interactions. Post-campaign surveys indicated a sharp rise in public concern about dengue (from 21% [42/200] to 56% [224/400], indicating they were "very concerned") and high awareness of key messages, with 81% (324/400) stating they would seek immediate care for severe symptoms. The humour-based approach was rated as appealing or very appealing by 76% (304/400) of respondents, with 90% (360/400) reporting increased likelihood of preventive action.

These findings demonstrate that culturally relevant, humour-based RCCE, integrated across digital and traditional media, may be effective in enhancing awareness and shifting perceptions.