El dengue en contextos interjurisdiccionales y transfronterizos: sentidos en disputa y respuestas institucionales

This paper analyzes the experiences and perceptions of local actors involved in the implementation of public policies for dengue prevention and Aedes aegypti control in towns in eastern Jujuy province, Argentina, bordering Salta. It presents progress on the project “Anthropological study on health, educational, and community interventions for the control of Aedes aegypti and prevention of arboviruses in Jujuy and Salta,” exploring the conflicting meanings and institutional responses that arise in these interjurisdictional and cross-border contexts. The study population includes health workers, nurses, health educators, and hospital directors, as well as municipal officials responsible for vector control, urban cleaning, and weed control. A qualitative methodology with an ethnographic approach was adopted to gather the actors' points of view and understand the shared meanings that guide their practices. Preliminary results reveal material barriers (infrastructure and resource deficits), cultural barriers (attributing the problem to the “habits” and “idiosyncrasies” of the population), and organizational barriers (poor inter-institutional coordination). Narratives associating dengue with migration, garbage, and poverty were also identified, reproducing stigmas toward low-income sectors. These findings reinforce the need for preventive strategies that integrate structural, symbolic, and relational factors, overcome institutional fragmentation, and avoid interpretive frameworks that reinforce social inequalities.