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Poster Session

Poster Session

Poster Session

P35 - A Health Belief Model Guided Approach to Strengthen Community Engagement in Aedes aegypti Control: The Puerto Rico Vector Control Unit’s 2024 World Mosquito Day Campaign. 

Wednesday, March 25, 2026
12:15 PM - 1:45 PM PDT
Location: Hall A
Abstract: Dengue is a significant public health threat in Puerto Rico. In January of 2024, the number of dengue cases surpassed the epidemic threshold and remained elevated. By March 2024, the Puerto Rico Department of Health declared a public health emergency. Following the declaration of the dengue epidemic, the Puerto Rico Vector Control Unit (PRVCU) adopted a targeted approach based on the Health Belief Model (HBM) theoretical framework, to strategically promote awareness, source reduction, and prevention of this arboviral disease transmitted by Aedes aegypti mosquito in Puerto Rico, during our annual educational campaign in August for World Mosquito Day (WMD). The campaign aimed to (1) educate communities to increase awareness about the health risks posed by Ae. aegypti, (2) promote preventive and protective behaviors against arboviral diseases, (3) mobilize communities to reduce mosquito breeding sites, and (4) strengthen recognition of PRVCU’s Integrated Vector Management initiatives. Our programed activities were implemented through Puerto Rico`s four cardinal regions, and each was tailored to regional contexts to optimize participation and message relevance. A total of 3,274 participants engaged in campaign activities, an increase over previous years. Our findings from this campaign highlight the relevance of integrating behavioral health models into Ae. aegypti control strategies for our population, to sustain community participation and resilience. PRVCU’s HBM-guided approach provided us with a replicable framework for enhancing the effectiveness of public health communication and intervention efforts in our WMD educational campaign.