Submitted to: Journal of the American Mosquito Control Association
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 1/13/2026
Publication Date: N/A
Citation: N/A

Interpretive Summary: Worldwide, 2024 has been the worst year for dengue infections on record. In the past two decades, a tenfold increase has been reported in dengue cases and this is likely an un-derestimation. The burden of dengue continues to grow and mosquito vector manage-ment remains the best option to reduce dengue case numbers rapidly until an effective dengue vaccine is available. Local, regional, and global human activities such as travel and trade, as well as global climate change have resulted in the geographical expansion of the primary mosquito vector Aedes aegypti and the introduction and reemergence of dengue genotypes to new geographical areas. A dengue workshop brought together experts from Nepal and Bangladesh to discuss sustainable dengue management plans and how to best engage communities in dengue control. This paper summarizes the experiences and knowledge presented at the workshop and outlines a comprehensive dengue prevention and control strategy calibrated for both Nepal and Bangladesh that with modifications may be leveraged to be applicable throughout South Asia. The strategy covers various tools and approaches for dengue vector surveillance and control, their operational implementation, targeted beneficiary groups, techniques for sustainability and long-term impact, and pivotal considerations for contextualizing these tools across diverse cultural, socioeconomic, and ecological settings. The overarching goal is to create a knowledge repository to build capacities of stakeholders at multiple levels within and between nations to share and compare tools, look for patterns of success, eliminate redundancy, and ultimately create a touch point for future discussions and interventions to reduce the burden of dengue in the region.

Technical Abstract: As of April 2024, over 7.6 million dengue cases have been reported to the World Health Organization with 3.4 million confirmed cases, over 16,000 severe cases, and over 3,000 deaths, making 2024 is the worst year for dengue infections on record. In the past two decades, a tenfold increase has been reported in dengue cases and based on under reporting most likely we are underestimating the real situation. The burden of dengue keeps growing and vector control remains the only option to reduce case numbers until an effective dengue vaccine is produced. Considering that the surge in dengue cases from the geographical expansion of both permissive zones and the primary mosquito vector Aedes aegypti are mainly driven by local, regional, and global human activity. We developed a workshop to bring experts from Nepal and Bangladesh to discuss sustainable dengue management plans and how to best engage communities in dengue control. In this paper we summarize the experience and knowledge gained from the workshop and outline the structure of a forthcoming comprehensive dengue prevention and control strategy calibrated for both Nepal and Bangladesh that with modifications may be leveraged to be applicable throughout South Asia. The strategy will elucidate various tools and approaches for dengue vector surveillance and control, their operational implementation, targeted beneficiary groups, techniques for sustainability and long-term impact, and pivotal considerations for contextualizing these tools across diverse cultural, socioeconomic, and ecological settings. The overarching goal is to create a knowledge repository to build capacities of stakeholders at multiple levels within and between nations to share and com-pare tools, look for patterns of success, eliminate redundancy, and ultimately create a touch point for future discussions and interventions to reduce the burden of dengue in the region.