The most sustainable approach for control of the Aedes Aegypti Mosquito is to promote integrated strategies that incorporate community­ based intervention. 

SSI developed DengueChat (www.denguechat.org) as an interactive web and mobile platform that combines mobile technology, evidence collection, reporting, analysis, pedagogic information, and game concepts to motivate communities to participate in dengue vector control and stem the tide of disease transmission without the use of toxic chemicals. 

DengueChat utilizes community members who were affected by the disease, as they are often the best sources of information about active and potential mosquito breeding sites

DengueChat consists of two composite parts: DengueChat Community and DengueChat Data. The first, engages communities to educate and motivate residents in effective mosquito vector control. The second, is a platform for organizers and researchers to analyze and represent the data that these communities collect.  

DengueChat is deployed through community youth brigades that perform weekly house-to-house visits to engage residents in dialogue on the risks and prevention of mosquito breeding sites. They demonstrate the process of inspecting water containers–such as barrels and tires–for the presence of mosquito larvae and how to properly remove them. The residents assume responsibility for performing these inspections, which are recorded in DengueChat Data during the weekly visits. Brigade members utilize DengueChat Community to engage in social conversations about Dengue, Zika, and Chikungunya; describe their brigade activities; circulate relevant information in their neighborhoods; and recruit new participants. DengueChat brigade members are responsible for specific houses, earning points for each visit and the actions taken by residents. Additional points are earned when homes remain free of breeding sites for two consecutive months, achieving “Green House” status.

During an 18-month pilot study in Managua, Nicaragua, DengueChat was found to reduce the mosquito transmission for Dengue, Chikungunya, and Zika by 90% in five intervention neighborhoods while it increased by over 400% in five control neighborhoods (without intervention). DengueChat’s innovative approach to community-based vector control is at the leading edge of dengue and chikungunya prevention.