Dengue prevention and control strategies in Malaysia have traditionally relied on the use of insecticides. However, these vertically structured 'top-down' approaches have not had much success. Although dengue is mainly a disease of urban areas, epidemics have recently been reported in rural areas in the state of Sarawak, on the island of Borneo. Coastal villages, especially, have reported a high Aedes index. With increasing mobility of the population between rural and urban areas, dengue has spread rapidly to rural areas, where access to health care is difficult and limited. The use of participatory action research was initiated in two coastal Malay villages and was aimed at reducing the high Aedes index and associated risk of dengue through behaviour modification strategies. The objective of participatory action research is to equip the community with confidence and motivation so that they can initiate a process of empowerment and instil a sense of ownership towards the programme. This programme has shown that participatory action research allows the community to participate jointly with the local health department and university researchers in identifying the needs of the community, and finding solutions to the problems identified. Initial evaluation show that the Aedes index has decreased. The relevance of effective social networking and self-advocacy with government agencies and the wider community are also discussed.
Learning Objectives: Discuss the use of participatory action research in a dengue prevention and control programme in rural communities whose access to healthcare is limited. Identify concepts of community empowerment, Freirian approaches towards community organising and adult learning
Keywords: Community Participation, Prevention
Presenting author's disclosure statement:
Organization/institution whose products or services will be discussed: None
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.