Western Pacific Surveillance and Response最新文献

{"title":"Mpox intra-action review in the Philippines, 2025.","authors":"Yui Sekitani, Gloria Balboa, Rowena Capistrano, Judith Mariano, Almira Gatchalian, Liezl Fernandez, Anne Dominique Matuba, Anna Marie Celina Garfin, Jose Gerard Belimac, Angelica Mae Oira, Soonjong Bae, Princess Mhyco Esguerra, Cling Malaco, Kathleen E Ryan, Juan Paolo Tonolete, Kathleen Taylor Warren, Wenyajing Zhang, Sean T Casey","doi":"10.5365/wpsar.2026.17.3.1338","DOIUrl":"10.5365/wpsar.2026.17.3.1338","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":31512,"journal":{"name":"Western Pacific Surveillance and Response","volume":"17 3","pages":"1-4"},"PeriodicalIF":1.6,"publicationDate":"2026-09-07","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13585401/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148991583","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Achieving zero open defecation status through a community-based programme in Cavite, Philippines, 2013-2019: a field review.","authors":"Julius R Migriño, Edroico Mari B Brillante, Maria Cecil Elisa G Esguerra, Orlie John Y Lavilla, Juan Miguel Lorenzo C Milla, Jennifer G Coritico","doi":"10.5365/wpsar.2026.17.5.1323","DOIUrl":"10.5365/wpsar.2026.17.5.1323","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Problem: </strong>Open defecation is practised in several communities in the Philippines. Achieving zero open defecation (ZOD) certification in the Philippines has been shown to reduce disease burden and improve overall community health and well-being.</p><p><strong>Context: </strong>Philippine communities are guided by the Department of Health to achieve ZOD status through verified municipal inspections. The Barangay Anahaw II administrative unit was selected as a site for implementing sustainable, community-based health programmes aimed at achieving ZOD.</p><p><strong>Action: </strong>In 2013, a community diagnosis was conducted in the barangay to assess sanitation and health needs. In 2016, a multisectoral water, sanitation and hygiene committee, guided by a Community-Led Total Sanitation campaign, focused on improving the barangay's sanitation status and promoting behavioural change. By 2017, the campaign's activities had been implemented to prepare for and support ZOD verification and certification.</p><p><strong>Outcome: </strong>The community diagnosis in the barangay identified improper waste management, including limited access to toilets, as one of its top health concerns. The community-led campaign included strategies such as household inspections, assessments of the knowledge of heads of households, clean-up drives and incentives to encourage toilet construction. While an initial attempt at certification in May 2017 was unsuccessful, the barangay achieved provincial ZOD certification in July 2019.</p><p><strong>Discussion: </strong>A coordinated approach involving an initial community diagnosis, a multisectoral sanitation programme supported by local officials and the community, and continuing household engagement through activities and incentives enabled the achievement of ZOD certification.</p>","PeriodicalId":31512,"journal":{"name":"Western Pacific Surveillance and Response","volume":"17 3","pages":"1-7"},"PeriodicalIF":1.6,"publicationDate":"2026-08-17","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13587832/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149009059","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"A pilot programme of community volunteers to improve hepatitis B medication adherence, Kiribati, 2025.","authors":"","doi":"10.5365/wpsar.2026.17.3.1348","DOIUrl":"10.5365/wpsar.2026.17.3.1348","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Problem: </strong>Antiviral therapy for chronic hepatitis B (CHB) reduces morbidity and mortality and improves quality of life. Achieving high levels of adherence is challenging due to multiple barriers, including medication fatigue, stigma, transportation and limited health literacy.</p><p><strong>Context: </strong>Suboptimal adherence to antiviral therapy for CHB is problematic in Kiribati, particularly among high-risk groups including pregnant women and individuals with cirrhosis.</p><p><strong>Action: </strong>During January-August 2025, a community volunteer intervention was initiated on Kiritimati, a remote island of Kiribati, to address adherence to CHB antiviral therapy. Community volunteers were assigned to patients positive for hepatitis B surface antigen who were commencing antiviral therapy and were pregnant or had cirrhosis. During home visits, volunteers provided education and encouraged medication adherence and clinic follow-up. Adherence in the intervention group was compared with adherence in positive patients being treated on other remote islands without the intervention.</p><p><strong>Outcome: </strong>Adherence was measured by medication bottle counts. Outcomes were assessed by overall group adherence and individual adherence > 80%. Group adherence was 77.4% (240.5/310.75) in the volunteer intervention group compared with 52.5% (700/1333) in the group without it (<i>P</i> < 0.001). Overall adherence among pregnant women in the intervention group was 89.7% (52/58). Individual adherence > 80% was met in 58.8% (30/51) of the intervention group and 34.1% (70/205) in the control group (<i>P</i> = 0.0012).</p><p><strong>Discussion: </strong>Although findings are preliminary and the intervention and control groups were not matched, this pilot suggests community volunteers are a promising intervention to improve CHB treatment adherence in a high-prevalence Pacific island setting. This strategy could also be explored for other chronic conditions where adherence is important.</p>","PeriodicalId":31512,"journal":{"name":"Western Pacific Surveillance and Response","volume":"17 3","pages":"1-6"},"PeriodicalIF":1.6,"publicationDate":"2026-07-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13575671/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148978076","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Risk assessment of cholera outbreaks in Eastern Visayas, Philippines, 2024.","authors":"Soonjong Bae, Boyd Roderick Cerro, Angelito Umali, Lalaine Villasis, Kathleen Ryan, Bonifacio Magtibay, Albert John Enrico Dominguez, Harriette Linelle Cruz, Andrea Gail Palagbas, Rez Dacoco, Percival De Paz, Ludina L Insigne, Marvin Jed C Soledad, Jody Nesus, Nayco Yap, Eleanor Salvador-Peña, Katherine Gamiao, Ian Christian Gonzales, Yui Sekitani","doi":"10.5365/wpsar.2026.17.3.1271","DOIUrl":"10.5365/wpsar.2026.17.3.1271","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Objective: </strong>This study presents the findings of a joint cholera risk assessment conducted in Eastern Visayas, the region in the Philippines with the highest incidence of the disease in 2022-2023. The study aimed to identify key risk factors, review progress since a 2016 assessment, and highlight persistent gaps in prevention, preparedness and response.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>In July 2024, the World Health Organization, the United Nations Children's Fund and the Philippine Department of Health conducted a joint assessment using a standardized checklist for focus group discussions and interviews across four technical areas: partnership and coordination; epidemiology and surveillance; water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH); and risk communication and community engagement. Epidemiological trends between 2022 and 2024 were analysed, and water samples from wells and refilling stations were tested for <i>Escherichia coli</i> and total coliforms.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>From 2022 to 2024, 12 284 cholera cases were reported in Eastern Visayas (case fatality rate: 0.5%). Testing showed 100% contamination in Level I and II sources, while 33% of Level III samples tested positive for total coliforms despite no <i>E. coli</i> detection. Partial progress has been made in implementing the 2016 assessment's recommendations, with good practices in surveillance, water sampling and community awareness, although gaps remain in outbreak response, coordination and WASH access.</p><p><strong>Discussion: </strong>This assessment identified both progress and persistent challenges across the four technical areas. Key limitations were found in the qualitative design and the limited geographical coverage. Conclusions focused on prioritizing the strengthening of national cholera strategies by embedding them within the broader Food and Waterborne Diseases Prevention and Control Program alongside local ownership and equity-focused WASH investments.</p>","PeriodicalId":31512,"journal":{"name":"Western Pacific Surveillance and Response","volume":"17 3","pages":"1-12"},"PeriodicalIF":1.6,"publicationDate":"2026-07-14","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13575672/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148978043","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Emergency medical team coordination management following the 2024 Vanuatu earthquake.","authors":"Sharin Vile, Jimmy Obed, Pierre-Yves Beauchemin, Samuel Kemuel, Tatsuhiko Kubo, Erin E Noste, Chandra Gilmore, Philippe Guyant, Ryusuke Ikeda, Tomoaki Natsukawa, Kaoru Harada, Yuki Takamura, Hideshige Tanaka, Hirotaka Sugiyama, Sean T Casey","doi":"10.5365/wpsar.2026.17.2.1312","DOIUrl":"10.5365/wpsar.2026.17.2.1312","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Problem: </strong>On 17 December 2024, a magnitude 7.3 earthquake struck the Pacific Island country of Vanuatu, affecting over 80 000 people and causing 14 deaths and 265 injuries. Facing limited specialist clinical capacity, increased patient load and strained facilities, Vanuatu's Ministry of Health requested support from emergency medical teams.</p><p><strong>Context: </strong>Vanuatu, highly disaster-prone and geographically dispersed, has a health system constrained by limited human resources and recent cyclone-related damage. The country's national emergency medical team, the Vanuatu Medical Assistance Team, was established in 2017 and plays a central role in health emergency response in the country.</p><p><strong>Action: </strong>Within 24 hours of the earthquake, the Vanuatu Medical Assistance Team was activated and established an Emergency Medical Team Coordination Cell within the national health emergency operations centre. National and international emergency medical teams from Australia, Fiji, Indonesia, Japan and New Zealand were deployed over the subsequent weeks and provided clinical, mental health and information management support. The World Health Organization's emergency medical team Minimum Data Set was implemented to monitor health trends and inform response actions.</p><p><strong>Outcome: </strong>Eight national and international emergency medical teams deployed alongside local health services. Together, they reported more than 5500 consultations to the Emergency Medical Team Coordination Cell, and a specialized team provided mental health and psychosocial support to 521 people. Minimum Data Set analysis showed a rapid decline in trauma-related presentations and detected increases in influenza-like illness, guiding the transition from emergency to recovery.</p><p><strong>Discussion: </strong>This response underscored the value of emergency medical teams following disasters, the importance of national leadership and coordination, and the significance of regional solidarity and partnerships. It also highlighted the importance of information management during emergencies and demonstrated potential innovations in this space.</p>","PeriodicalId":31512,"journal":{"name":"Western Pacific Surveillance and Response","volume":"17 2","pages":"1-9"},"PeriodicalIF":1.6,"publicationDate":"2026-06-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13382161/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148608084","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Trends in the incidence of influenza and influenza-like illness in Cambodia, 2006-2023: insights from national sentinel surveillance.","authors":"Sokly Mom, Khanuengnij Yueayai, Seng Heng, Hay Puthik Long, Sopheavy Seng, Nathaprang Nittayasoon, Sengdoeurn Yi, Sovann Ly","doi":"10.5365/wpsar.2026.17.2.1132","DOIUrl":"10.5365/wpsar.2026.17.2.1132","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Understanding the patterns and occurrence of influenza is crucial for effective public health responses. National sentinel surveillance systems provide invaluable data that can be used to track the prevalence, seasonality and evolution of influenza viruses, and to inform timely interventions and early warning systems for disease control. This study aimed to describe the trends in influenza-like illness (ILI) and influenza incidence based on data obtained from ILI surveillance conducted among patients presenting to health facilities with symptoms indicative of influenza in Cambodia during 2006-2023. A total of 27 098 samples were tested, of which 15.5% were positive for influenza. Of these, 63.6% were influenza A, 36.2% were influenza B, and 0.2% were both influenza A and B. The annual incidence of influenza among the outpatient population varied, averaging 8.2 cases (range: 0.05-23.8) per 1000 population. Incidence rates were highest in 2007, 2008 and early 2023. The overall positivity rate was 16%. Not all ILI surveillance sites were consistently active during the study period, primarily due to funding constraints. Given the constraints of sentinel site coverage and data collection inconsistency, the study emphasizes the vital need for ongoing and improved ILI surveillance to accurately assess influenza incidence. To gain a more detailed picture of influenza dynamics in Cambodia, surveillance systems should be strengthened and data collection should be expanded to include asymptomatic patients and other important patient characteristics. These results are needed to guide regional and national influenza preparedness, prevention and control initiatives.</p>","PeriodicalId":31512,"journal":{"name":"Western Pacific Surveillance and Response","volume":"17 2","pages":"1-10"},"PeriodicalIF":1.6,"publicationDate":"2026-06-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13382160/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148608094","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Cholera outbreak among the Sama Badjao Indigenous community, Lucena City, Philippines, 2022.","authors":"Iris Ann D Bigyan, Catherine P Patricio, Johnette A Peñas, Nelson C Soriano, John Bobbie M Roca, Ray Justin Ventura, Mariz Zheila Blanco-Payuyo, Apple Charm Agulto","doi":"10.5365/wpsar.2026.17.2.1223","DOIUrl":"10.5365/wpsar.2026.17.2.1223","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Objective: </strong>On 18 October 2022, diarrhoeal cases among the Sama Badjao indigenous community in the Philippines were reported from a tertiary hospital in Lucena City, Quezon Province. An investigation was conducted to confirm the outbreak, profile cases, identify the source of infection, and recommend prevention and control measures.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>Suspected cases were identified through medical records review, active case finding and key informant interviews. Identified cases were interviewed using a structured questionnaire to collect demographic, clinical and exposure information. Rectal swabs and environmental water samples were collected for bacterial isolation and confirmation.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>A total of 75 cases were identified, with 40 (53.3%) hospitalized and four fatalities (case fatality rate: 5.3%). Ages ranged from 2 months to 20 years (median: 4 years). Nine of the 15 rectal swabs were positive for <i>Vibrio cholerae</i> Ogawa biotype El Tor. The community practised open defecation, and only 24.7% of households had basic sanitation. Although <i>V. cholerae</i> was not found in water samples, faecal contamination was noted in a community well, and <i>Aeromonas</i> species were isolated, indicating the presence of multiple gastrointestinal pathogens.</p><p><strong>Discussion: </strong>A cholera outbreak was confirmed among the Sama Badjao community in Lucena City. Environmental assessment indicated that poor sanitation, open defecation and unsafe water sources likely contributed to the outbreak. The high case fatality rate (5.3%) was influenced by delayed care and limited health-care access. These findings emphasize the need for interventions to improve water, sanitation and hygiene practices and provide culturally appropriate public health programmes to reduce cholera risk among vulnerable communities.</p>","PeriodicalId":31512,"journal":{"name":"Western Pacific Surveillance and Response","volume":"17 2","pages":"1-6"},"PeriodicalIF":1.6,"publicationDate":"2026-06-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13389470/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148563140","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"A large outbreak of cryptosporidiosis at a pool in Melbourne, Australia, 2025: rapid investigation and public health response.","authors":"Clarissa Moreira, Renae Oliver, Norelle L Sherry, Karolina Mercoulia, Annaliese van Diemen, Claire L Gordon","doi":"10.5365/wpsar.2026.17.2.1343","DOIUrl":"10.5365/wpsar.2026.17.2.1343","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Objective: </strong>Cryptosporidiosis is a gastrointestinal illness spread via infected people, animals, or contaminated water or food. This article describes a cryptosporidiosis outbreak associated with a swimming pool in Melbourne, Australia in February 2025.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>On 13 February, the North Eastern Public Health Unit was simultaneously notified of a reportt gastroenteritis symptoms by a social group who swam at Pool A on 4 February and of gastroenteritis symptoms among students at School B who attended the same pool on 5 February. An outbreak was declared and an investigation commenced. Communications were sent to 1034 pool patrons and schools that attended the pool in early February to advise of the outbreak, provide safe swimming messages and encourage testing among symptomatic individuals. Interviews with symptomatic individuals were undertaken. An online questionnaire supported active case finding and information-sharing. Local clinicians and laboratories were alerted to the outbreak and healthy swimming messages were promoted at the pool.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Cryptosporidiosis was suspected due to the 4-9-day incubation period. Due to initial reports of a high attack rate among the students and concerns about ongoing exposure to current pool users, the pool was immediately closed for hyperchlorination. Subsequent urgent faecal specimen testing confirmed <i>Cryptosporidium</i>. Overall, 16 confirmed and 59 probable cases were identified. The most common symptoms were diarrhoea (56%), abdominal pain (48%) and nausea (45%). Of those who only attended the pool once, the median incubation period was 7 days (range: 4-9 days). No cases were identified after hyperchlorination.</p><p><strong>Discussion: </strong>This pool-associated cryptosporidiosis outbreak demonstrates the importance of rapid outbreak investigation and response, and pre-emptive aquatic environmental control measures to prevent ongoing transmission.</p>","PeriodicalId":31512,"journal":{"name":"Western Pacific Surveillance and Response","volume":"17 2","pages":"1-7"},"PeriodicalIF":1.6,"publicationDate":"2026-06-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13403692/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148608025","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"National surveillance of tick- and mite-borne diseases in Japan, 1999-2025: a rapid surveillance reporting framework using the jpinfect R package.","authors":"Tomonori Hoshi, Erina Ishigaki, Richard Paul, Satoshi Kaneko","doi":"10.5365/wpsar.2026.17.2.1349","DOIUrl":"10.5365/wpsar.2026.17.2.1349","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>The Government of Japan has conducted weekly national surveillance of notifiable infectious diseases for over 25 years. As of December 2025, 87 notifiable diseases are under surveillance, although the list has changed over time as new infections have emerged and others have been reclassified. Although weekly data are openly available, their formatting and preparation have been labour-intensive. An open-source R package, jpinfect, has the potential to improve data accessibility and analytical workflows for these data sets. In this study, we used the jpinfect package to summarize national surveillance data for 12 acari-borne diseases in Japan from week 14 of 1999 to week 52 of 2025, by prefecture and sex. In total, 18 295 acari-borne disease cases were reported nationwide. Eight diseases reported at least one case. Of these, scrub typhus (56.6%), Japanese spotted fever (32.9%) and severe fever with thrombocytopenia syndrome (6.7%) together accounted for more than 95% of all cases. Scrub typhus case numbers remained stable and widely distributed across the country, except for in the northern island of Hokkaido. Confirmed cases of the other two tick-born diseases increased, notably in western Japan, but with new cases also reported in northern Japan. Lyme disease, relapsing fever and Q fever were sporadically reported at very low incidence levels (< 0.2 per 100 000 population). In addition to providing an updated epidemiological overview of acari-borne diseases in Japan, this report highlights the potential of jpinfect to streamline the generation of national situation reports. The surveillance and analytical framework described here could serve as a model for other countries in the Western Pacific Region.</p>","PeriodicalId":31512,"journal":{"name":"Western Pacific Surveillance and Response","volume":"17 2","pages":"1-10"},"PeriodicalIF":1.6,"publicationDate":"2026-06-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13382163/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148608096","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Humour-driven risk communication and community engagement to mitigate dengue: Lao People's Democratic Republic, 2024.","authors":"Visith Khamlusa, Vilakone Phangkhamhack, William Seal, Outhikone Souphome In, Rachel Lorimer, Patrice Suyot, Lieke Visser","doi":"10.5365/wpsar.2026.17.2.1372","DOIUrl":"10.5365/wpsar.2026.17.2.1372","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Problem: </strong>In early 2024, Lao People's Democratic Republic experienced a surge in dengue cases approaching levels of its 2013 epidemic, underscoring the persistent threat of dengue during the monsoon season. Although awareness of preventive behaviours is high, inconsistent adoption has limited their effectiveness.</p><p><strong>Context: </strong>In response, the Ministry of Health, in collaboration with the World Health Organization, implemented an innovative, humour-driven risk communication and community engagement (RCCE) campaign targeting individuals who perceived dengue as a routine health concern.</p><p><strong>Action: </strong>To capture attention and increase message retention, the April to September campaign employed an actor dressed as a giant mosquito who deliberately and humorously interrupted daily activities. The strategy used pre-tested materials, a strong social media presence, and television and radio to promote mosquito control, symptom recognition and timely medical care for severe dengue. The impact was assessed through nationwide phone and online surveys and social media analytics.</p><p><strong>Outcome: </strong>The campaign reached almost 2.9 million unique users (68.2% of whom were using the country's most popular social media platform), generating more than 27 million content views and 86 342 interactions. Post-campaign surveys indicated a sharp rise in public concern about dengue (from 21% [42/200] to 56% [224/400], indicating they were \"very concerned\") and high awareness of key messages, with 81% (324/400) stating they would seek immediate care for severe symptoms. The humour-based approach was rated as appealing or very appealing by 76% (304/400) of respondents, with 90% (360/400) reporting increased likelihood of preventive action.</p><p><strong>Discussion: </strong>These findings demonstrate that culturally relevant, humour-based RCCE, integrated across digital and traditional media, may be effective in enhancing awareness and shifting perceptions.</p>","PeriodicalId":31512,"journal":{"name":"Western Pacific Surveillance and Response","volume":"17 2","pages":"1-7"},"PeriodicalIF":1.6,"publicationDate":"2026-06-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13389468/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148563163","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}