Using Digital Technology for the Prevention of Aedes-Borne Diseases in Colombian Communities

Arboviral diseases such as dengue, Zika, and chikungunya, transmitted by Aedes mosquitoes, remain an important public health concern in Colombian communities. Digital health tools such as WhatsApp may provide an opportunity to strengthen preventive behaviors and community engagement in vector control efforts. Therefore, a quasi-experimental implementation study was conducted in two endemic municipalities, Villa del Rosario and Los Patios, in Colombia, to evaluate a WhatsApp-based digital health strategy designed to support the prevention and control of Aedes-borne diseases and to promote the application of a protective coating (PC) in laundry tanks, one of the main breeding sites of Aedes mosquitoes. The main questions it aims to answer are: Whether a WhatsApp-based digital health intervention, added to community-based strategies, can improve household preventive practices against Aedes-borne diseases, compared with community strategies alone or routine vector control activities. Whether the combined use of WhatsApp messaging and community-based promotion of protective coating in laundry tanks can reduce Aedes entomological indices, compared with clusters not receiving the full intervention. Whether the intervention is feasible and acceptable for households and community participants in endemic urban settings. The study was conducted in three geographically separated clusters of approximately 3,000 - 3,500 households each. Cluster 1 received community strategies plus WhatsApp messaging, cluster 2 received community strategies only, and cluster 3 served as the control group. Protective coating was applied in clusters 1 and 2. The study included three phases: a pre-intervention baseline assessment, an intervention phase with interim assessment, and a post-intervention final evaluation and follow-up. Household surveys and entomological inspections were conducted to assess preventive practices, vector indices, and acceptance of the intervention.