Strengthening community engagement for the control of Aedes-borne diseases: Insights from an international workshop in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

Arboviral diseases transmitted by Aedes mosquitoes, including dengue, chikungunya and zika, represent a growing global public health threat, exacerbated by climate change, rapid urbanisation, social inequalities and weak public infrastructures. While technical innovations in vector control continue to expand, their effectiveness and sustainability largely depend on social dynamics, sustained community engagement and local ownership. We report here insights from the International Workshop Strengthening North-South research cooperation in social sciences for protecting vulnerable populations from Aedes -borne diseases , held in Rio de Janeiro in September 2025. The meeting brought together researchers, public health professionals, and community actors from the Americas, Europe, and Africa. The workshop aimed to explore how social sciences can contribute to the surveillance and control of Aedes -borne diseases, particularly in vulnerable settings. Structured around three thematic sessions, the workshop examined (i) how the social sciences can contribute to better health and well-being in a context of global environmental and climatic changes; (ii) what are the factors shaping communities’ perceptions of Aedes control strategies, and how can social sciences contribute to appropriation and implementation of those strategies, including Wolbachia and sterile insect techniques; and (iii) how citizen science tools and digital technologies support surveillance and engagement in the fight against vector-borne diseases? Across sessions, case studies from Latin America, Africa, and Europe highlighted the central role of trust, locally grounded knowledge, participatory governance, and intersectoral collaborations. Discussions emphasised that community engagement is a core determinant of effective and equitable vector-borne disease control. Citizen science initiatives, participatory surveillance, and co-designed interventions were shown to strengthen data quality, improve acceptability of innovations, and empower communities to address structural determinants of exposure. The workshop concluded that integrating social sciences into One Health approaches is essential to develop adaptive, inclusive, and sustainable responses to arboviral threats in a rapidly and unpredictably changing world.