Health Promotion for Wolbachia-Based Dengue Control: A Scoping Review of Regulatory Readiness, Community Engagement, and Communication Strategies

Siti Rahmah (1), Tri Yunis Miko Wahyono (2), Evie Martha (3), Ede Surya Darmawan (4), Farida Murtiani (5)
(1) Doctoral Program of Epidemiology, Faculty of Public Health, Universitas Indonesia, Indonesia. Enviromental Health Departemen, Poltekkes Mamuju, Mamuju, Indonesia
(2) Departement of Epidemiology, Faculty of Public Health, Universitas Indonesia, Depok, Indonesia
(3) Departemen of Health Education and Behavioral Sciences, Faculty of Public Health, Universitas Indonesia, Depok, Indonesia
(4) Departemen of Health Administration and Policy, Faculty of Public Health, Universitas Indonesia, Depok, Indonesia
(5) Department of Research, Sulianti Saroso Infectious Disease Hospital, Jakarta, Indonesia
Fulltext View | Download
How to cite :
Rahmah, S., Wahyono, T. Y. M., Martha, E., Darmawan, E. S., & Murtiani, F. (2026). Health Promotion for Wolbachia-Based Dengue Control: A Scoping Review of Regulatory Readiness, Community Engagement, and Communication Strategies . Media Publikasi Promosi Kesehatan Indonesia, 9(10), 1848–1859. https://doi.org/10.56338/mppki.v9i10.11083

Introduction: Wolbachia-based interventions have emerged as an effective strategy for reducing dengue transmission in endemic countries. However, successful implementation depends on comprehensive pre-release preparation, and evidence describing these preparatory models has not been synthesised systematically. This scoping review aimed to map and synthesise preparation models for Wolbachia-based dengue control programmes across dengue-endemic countries, focusing on regulatory preparation, community engagement, and communication strategies that facilitate community acceptance and successful implementation.


Methods: Following PRISMA-ScR and Population–Concept–Context frameworks, we systematically searched PubMed/MEDLINE, Scopus, ScienceDirect, and Taylor & Francis for 2014 to 2025 publications describing Wolbachia pre-release processes in Asia, Latin America, Oceania, and Africa. All study designs reporting regulatory preparation, mosquito production/logistics, community engagement, and communication strategies were included. Data were extracted using standardised forms and synthesised narratively and thematically.


Results: Of the 848 identified studies, 13 met the inclusion criteria. The review results identified three interacting Wolbachia programme preparations: regulatory preparation, community engagement, and communication. These domains were associated with mechanisms such as institutional legitimacy, dialogue, trust-building, informed participation, and context-sensitive communication that may support implementation readiness and community acceptance.


Conclusion: The review suggests that Wolbachia programme preparation may support community acceptance through interconnected mechanisms of institutional legitimacy, dialogue, trust-building, informed participation, community-based structures, and context-sensitive communication, although these mechanisms may vary across social and regulatory contexts. These findings provide guiding principles for future Wolbachia-based dengue control programmes in diverse settings. This framework provides practical guidance for policymakers and public health practitioners seeking to strengthen community acceptance and support sustainable deployment of Wolbachia in dengue-endemic settings.

  1. CDC. Emergency Preparedness and Response. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC); 2024. Increased risk of dengue virus infections in the United States. Available from: https://www.cdc.gov/emergency/index.html
  2. WHO. World Health Organization. 2025 [cited 2026 Feb 8]. Dengue: global situation, surveillance and progress–2024 update. Available from: https://www.who.int/publications/i/item/who-wer10052-665-678
  3. Indriani C, Tanamas SK, Khasanah U, Ansari MR, Rubangi, Tantowijoyo W, et al. Impact of randomized wmel Wolbachia deployments on notified dengue cases and insecticide fogging for dengue control in Yogyakarta City. Glob Health Action. 2023 Dec 31;16(1). https://doi.org/10.1080/16549716.2023.2166650.
  4. Gesto JSM, Pinto SB, Dias FBS, Peixoto J, Costa G, Kutcher S, et al. Large-scale deployment and establishment of Wolbachia into the Aedes aegypti population in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Front Microbiol. 2021 Jul 29;12:711107. https://doi.org/10.3389/FMICB.2021.711107/BIBTEX
  5. World Mosquito Program. How WMP’s Wolbachia method works. 2022 [cited 2026 Feb 8]. Available from: https://www.worldmosquitoprogram.org/en/work/wolbachia-method/how-it-works
  6. Soh LT, Ong Z, Vasquez K, Chen I, Li X, Niah W, et al. A Household-Based Survey to Understand Factors Influencing Awareness, Attitudes and Knowledge towards Wolbachia-Aedes Technology. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health 2021, Vol 18,. 2021 Nov 15;18(22). https://doi.org/10.3390/IJERPH182211997
  7. Utarini A, Indriani C, Ahmad RA, Tantowijoyo W, Arguni E, Ansari MR, et al. Efficacy of Wolbachia-Infected Mosquito Deployments for the control of dengue. N Engl J Med. 2021 Jun;384(23):2177–86. https://doi.org/10.1056/NEJMoa2030243.
  8. Lozano S, Pritts K, Duguma D, Fredregill C, Connelly R. Independent evaluation of Wolbachia-infected male mosquito releases for control of Aedes aegypti in Harris County, Texas, using a Bayesian abundance estimator, PLoS Negl Trop Dis. 2022 Nov 1;16(11):e0010907. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pntd.0010907.
  9. Hoffmann AA, Ahmad NW, Keong WM, et al. Introduction of Aedes aegypti mosquitoes carrying wAlbB Wolbachia sharply decreases dengue incidence in disease hotspots. iScience. 2024 Feb 16;27(2):108942. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.isci.2024.108942.
  10. Velez ID, Uribe A, Barajas J, Uribe S, Ángel S, Suaza-Vasco JD, et al. Large-scale releases and establishment of wMel Wolbachia in Aedes aegypti mosquitoes throughout the Cities of Bello, Medellín and Itagüí, Colombia. PLOS Negl Trop Dis. 2023 Nov 1;17(11):e0011642. https://doi.org/10.1371/JOURNAL.PNTD.0011642.
  11. Bansal S, Lim JT, Chong CS, et al. Effectiveness of Wolbachia-mediated sterility coupled with sterile insect technique to suppress adult Aedes aegypti populations in Singapore: a synthetic control study. Lancet Planet Health. 2024 Sep 1;8(9):e617–28. https://doi.org/10.1016/S2542-5196(24)00169-4.
  12. Ogunlade ST, Adekunle AI, Meehan MT, McBryde ES. Quantifying the impact of Wolbachia releases on dengue infection in Townsville, Australia. Scientific Reports 2023 13:1. 2023 Sep 11;13(1):14932-. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-023-42336-2.
  13. World Mosquito Program. Empowering communities. 2021 [cited 2026 May 11]. Available from: https://www.worldmosquitoprogram.org/en/work/collaboration/empowering-communities
  14. Velez ID, Tanamas SK, Arbelaez MP, et al. Reduced dengue incidence following city-wide wMel Wolbachia mosquito releases throughout three Colombian cities: interrupted time series analysis and a prospective case-control study. PLOS Negl Trop Dis. 2023 Nov 1;17(11):e0011713. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pntd.0011713.
  15. Liew C, Soh LT, Chen I, Li X, Sim S, Ng LC. Community engagement for Wolbachia-based Aedes aegypti population suppression for dengue control: the Singapore experience. Area-Wide Integrated Pest Management. 2021 Feb 1;747–61. https://doi.org/10.1201/9781003169239-42
  16. McNaughton D, Duong TTH. Designing a community engagement framework for a new dengue control method: a case study from central Vietnam. PLOS Negl Trop Dis. 2014;8(5). https://doi.org/10.1371/JOURNAL.PNTD.0002794.
  17. Sri-Pathmanathan C, Bao H, Diluka PAE, Mee A, Andari B, Saunders E, et al. Enhancing community participation in dengue control through digital crowdsourcing: an analysis of a world mosquito program digital open call in Sri Lanka. Journal of Infectious Diseases. 2023 Dec 1;228(11):1482–90. https://doi.org/10.1093/infdis/jiad439.
  18. Subramaniam, T. S. S., Lee, H. L., Ahmad, N. W., & Murad, S. (2012). Genetically modified mosquito: The Malaysian public engagement experience. Biotechnology Journal, 7(11), 1323–1327. https://doi.org/10.1002/biot.201200282
  19. Lwin MO, Ong Z, Panchapakesan C, Sheldenkar A, Soh LT, Chen I, et al. Influence of public hesitancy and receptivity on reactive behaviours towards releases of male Wolbachia-Aedes mosquitoes for dengue control. PLoS Negl Trop Dis. 2022 Nov 1;16(11). https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pntd.0010910.
  20. Pinto SB, Riback TIS, Sylvestre G, Costa G, Peixoto J, Dias FBS, et al. Effectiveness of Wolbachia-infected mosquito deployments in reducing the incidence of dengue and other Aedes-borne diseases in Niterói, Brazil: A quasi-experimental study. PLOS Negl Trop Dis. 2021;15(7):1–23. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pntd.0009556
  21. Ong J, Ho SH, Soh SXH, et al. Assessing the efficacy of male Wolbachia-infected mosquito deployments to reduce dengue incidence in Singapore: study protocol for a cluster-randomized controlled trial. Trials. 2022 Dec 1;23(1):1023-. https://doi.org/10.1186/S13063-022-06976-5/TABLES/1.
  22. Arham AF, Amin L, Mustapa MAC, Mahadi Z, Yaacob M, Ibrahim M. Determinants of stakeholders’ attitudes and intentions toward supporting the use of Wolbachia-infected Aedes mosquitoes for dengue control. BMC Public Health. 2021 Dec 1;21(1):2314-. https://doi.org/10.1186/S12889-021-12166-W/FIGURES/2.
  23. Liew C, Soh LT, Chen I, Ng LC. Public sentiments toward the use of Wolbachia-Aedes technology in Singapore. BMC Public Health. 2021 Jul;21(1):1417. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-021-11380-w.
  24. Kolopack PA, Parsons JA, Lavery J V. What Makes Community Engagement Effective?: Lessons from the Eliminate Dengue Program in Queensland Australia, PLoS Negl Trop Dis. 2015 Apr 13;9(4):e0003713. https://doi.org/10.1371/JOURNAL.PNTD.0003713
  25. Sri-Pathmanathan C, Bao H, Diluka PAE, et al. Enhancing community participation in dengue control through digital crowdsourcing: an analysis of a world mosquito program digital open call in Sri Lanka. J Infect Dis. 2023 Dec 1;228(11):1482–90. https://doi.org/10.1093/INFDIS/JIAD439.
  26. Indriani C, Tantowijoyo W, Rancès E, Andari B, Prabowo E, Yusdi D, et al. Reduced dengue incidence following deployments of Wolbachia-infected Aedes aegypti in Yogyakarta, Indonesia: a quasi-experimental trial using controlled interrupted time series analysis. Gates Open Res. 2020;4:50. https://doi.org/10.12688/gatesopenres.13122.1.
  27. Simmons CP, Donald W, Tagavi L et al. Successful introgression of wMel Wolbachia into Aedes aegypti populations in Fiji, Vanuatu and Kiribati. PLOS Negl Trop Dis. 2024 Mar 1;18(3):e0012022. https://doi.org/10.1371/JOURNAL.PNTD.0012022.
  28. Costa GB, Smithyman R, O’Neill SL, Moreira LA. How to engage communities on a large scale? Lessons from World Mosquito Program in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Gates Open Res. 2021;4:109. https://doi.org/10.12688/gatesopenres.13153.2.
  29. WHO. Guidance Framework for Testing Genetically Modified Mosquitoes: Second Edition. 2021. Available from: https://www.who.int/publications/i/item/9789240025233.
  30. Rogers, E. M. (2004). Diffusion of Innovations (5th ed.). Free Press.

Downloads

Download data is not yet available.