Toward a co-designed dengue early warning system in Vietnam: Stakeholder mapping and expectations in the Mekong Delta Region

This study aimed to map key stakeholders involved in a prospective dengue EWS and explore their expectations to inform its design and implementation in Vietnam. The study employed an exploratory qualitative design, beginning with a stakeholder inception workshop involving 48 participants to identify key actors across governance levels and sectors. This was followed by 15 in-depth interviews and three focus group discussions with national experts, representatives of local health agencies, and community members in the Mekong Delta Region. Stakeholders were grouped into government health agencies, government non-health agencies, local health agencies, and professional institutions. Expectations consistently emphasised a user-friendly system integrated with existing workflows, reliable forecasts, supportive policy and governance, cross-sectoral data integration, and adequate workforce capacity. Differences in forecast lead time and intended end-users reflected stakeholders' distinct responsibilities rather than conflicting priorities. Power-interest analysis identified national agencies as key strategic actors and local health agencies as central to implementation. These findings provide practical considerations for designing and implementing a dengue EWS aligned with Vietnam's governance structures, routine health system processes, and stakeholder needs, thereby supporting a more sustainable implementation of climate-informed dengue EWS.