Exploring community participation in vectorborne disease control in Southeast Asia: a scoping review protocol.

INTRODUCTION: Vector borne diseases (VBDs) present significant public health challenges in Southeast Asia (SEA), and the increasing number of cases threatens vulnerable communities. Inadequate vector control and management have been linked to the spread of VBDs. To address these issues, community participation has been proposed as a promising approach to enhance health programmes and control of VBDs. This article outlines a protocol for a scoping review of the published literature on community-participation approaches to control VBDs in the SEA region. The primary research question is 'How does community participation complement the control of VBDs in SEA?' This review aims to provide an overview of various approaches and identify barriers and facilitators to effective implementation. METHODS AND ANALYSIS: The research questions will guide the scoping review. In stage 1, peer-reviewed publications from PubMed, Web of Science and Scopus will be searched using predefined search terms related to community-based approaches and VBDs in the SEA region, English, Indonesian and Malay published between 2012 and 2022. In stage 2, the references from relevant articles will be screened for eligibility. In stage 3, eligible articles will be charted in Microsoft Excel to facilitate the review process, and studies will be characterised based on the investigated diseases; this review will also highlight the methodological context of these studies. In stage 4, a thematic analysis will be conducted to derive meaningful findings from the dataset relevant to the research inquiry, followed by writing the results in stage 5. This scoping review aims to be the first to explore community participation in VBD control in the SEA population, providing valuable insights for future research and stakeholders involved in disease control. ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION: This scoping review does not require ethical approval because the methodology synthesises information from available articles. This review is planned for dissemination in academic journals, conference presentations and shared with stakeholders as part of knowledge sharing among those involved in VBD control.

Rabies in Southeast Asia: a systematic review of its incidence, risk factors and mortality.

OBJECTIVE: Rabies is a neglected zoonotic disease that can infect all mammals, including humans. We aimed to summarise the current knowledge of the incidence, risk factors and mortality of rabies in Southeast Asia. DESIGN: Systematic review based on the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses 2020. DATA SOURCES: Scopus, Web of Science and PubMed were searched from 1 January 2012 to 21 February 2023. ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA: Original English language articles published between 2012 and 2023 were included. DATA EXTRACTION AND SYNTHESIS: Nine independent reviewers extracted data and assessed the risk of bias. The quality appraisal of included articles was carried out using the Mixed Methods Appraisal Tool. RESULTS: A total of eight articles were included in this analysis. In Vietnam, the incidence of rabies ranged from 1.7 to 117.2 per 100 000 population. The cumulative incidence in Sarawak was estimated at 1.7 per 100 000 population. In Indonesia, 104 human rabies cases were reported from 2008 to 2010, while in Thailand, a total of 46 rabies cases were reported in Thailand from 2010 to 2015. In the Philippines, the incidence of rabies ranged from 0.1 to 0.3 per 100 000 population. An increased risk of rabies virus infection was associated with a high population density, illiteracy, seasonal patterns and dog butchers. The case fatality rate was 100%. CONCLUSION: This study included research from Southeast Asia, which may not represent rabies infection in other regions or continents. In addition, the role of publication bias should be acknowledged as grey literature was not included. The occurrence of rabies in Southeast Asia is due to the high number of unvaccinated stray and pet dogs, working hazards (dog butchers in Vietnam), the unavailability of the rabies vaccine in rural regions and misinformation about the significance of seeking treatment after dog bites. PROSPERO REGISTRATION NUMBER: CRD42022311654.

International modified Delphi study on malaria preventive behaviour: new themes, contexts and framework for future research on Plasmodium knowlesi malaria.

INTRODUCTION: Plasmodium knowlesi malaria is a non-human simian malaria that threatens Southeast Asian rural communities. Studies indicate that non-compliant bednet usage, travelling into the forest and working as farmers and rubber tappers put communities at risk for infection. Despite guidelines, malaria incidence increases yearly and has become a public health concern. In addition to research gaps addressing factors that influence malaria prevention behaviour in these communities, there are no specific guidelines to facilitate strategies against the threat of P. knowlesi malaria. METHOD: To examine potential factors that influence malaria-prevention behaviour in communities exposed to P. knowlesi malaria, 12 malaria experts participated in a modified Delphi study; every participant maintained their anonymity throughout the study. Three Delphi rounds were conducted via different online platforms between 15 November 2021 and 26 February 2022, and consensus was achieved when 70% of the participants agreed on a particular point with a 4-5 median. The results from the open-ended questions were then subjected to thematic analysis, and the dataset generated by this study was analysed using a deductive and inductive approach. RESULTS: After a systematic, iterative process, knowledge and belief, social support, cognitive and environmental factors, past experience as a malaria patient, and the affordability and feasibility of a given intervention were critical contributors to malaria-prevention behaviour. CONCLUSION: Future research on P. knowlesi malaria could adapt this study's findings for a more nuanced understanding of factors that influence malaria-prevention behaviour and improve P. knowlesi malaria programmes based on the expert consensus.

Exploring the key anthropological drivers of and barriers to zoonotic malaria preventative behaviour in a community exposed to Plasmodium knowlesi infection in Malaysia: protocol for a qualitative study with a participatory research design.

INTRODUCTION: Plasmodium knowlesi malaria is a zoonotic mosquito-borne disease with complex epidemiology. According to the WHO, the prevention and control of vector-borne diseases require community participation to increase coherence between malaria interventions and sustainable public health programmes. We describe a participatory research (PR) design for a study aimed at exploring the key anthropological drivers of and barriers to zoonotic malaria preventive behaviour among communities exposed to P. knowlesi infection in Malaysia. Participatory approaches can facilitate policymakers in designing future zoonotic malaria control programmes by investigating community perspectives and concerns about zoonotic malaria in a local context. METHODS AND ANALYSIS: The PR will be conducted over a period of 12 months, from March 2022 to March 2023, among adults (>18 years old) who are permanent residents in a rural village exposed to P. knowlesi malaria in Sabah, Malaysia. We will select patients who were diagnosed with P. knowlesi infection from January to December 2021 for focus group discussions (FGDs), as they can provide perspectives on the disease from the point of view of those previously diagnosed with infection. In-depth interviews (IDIs) with people of importance in the community, such as village heads, will also be conducted. Both FGDs and IDIs will be conducted from March 2022 until June 2022. Concurrently, a photovoice with adults over 18 years old who reside in the community will be conducted. The target sample sizes for FGDs, IDIs and photovoice are 6-8, 12 and 10-15 participants, respectively. We will use a study framework as a theoretical lens to guide the exploration of the beliefs, social contexts, barriers and drivers surrounding zoonotic malaria preventive behaviour. ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION: This study has been approved by the Medical Research and Ethics Committee Ministry of Health Malaysia (NMRR ID-21-01980-JEH) and the Research and Innovation Secretariat, Faculty of Medicine, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (FF-2021-462). All participants will provide consent prior to participation. The results will be reported in international peer-reviewed journals and presented at conferences and on other platforms.

Hearing impairment and contributing factors among fertilizer factory workers.

INTRODUCTION: Hearing impairment remains the main occupational health problem in the manufacturing industry, and its contributing factors have not been well controlled. METHODS: Unmatched case control and comparative studies were carried out among fertilizer factory workers in Sarawak with the aim of determining contributing factors for hearing impairment. Respondents consisted of 49 cases that were diagnosed from 2005 to 2008 with 98 controls from the same work places. Chi-square test and Mann-Whitney test were used in a univariate analysis to determine the association between hearing impairment and the contributing risks being studied. RESULTS: The results of the univariate analysis showed that hearing impairment was significantly (p<0.05) associated with older age, lower education level, high smoking dose, high occupational daily noise dose, longer duration of service, infrequent used of hearing protection device (HPD), and low perception of sound on HPD usage. Multivariate logistic regression of hearing impairment after controlling for age found the following five variables: occupational daily noise dose ≥50% (OR 3.48, 95% CI 1.36-8.89), ≥15 years of services (OR 2.92, 95% CI 1.16-7.33), infrequent use of HPD (OR 2.79, 95% CI 1.15-6.77), low perception of sound on HPD (POR 2.77, 95% CI 1.09-6.97), and smoking more than 20 packs per year (OR 4.71, 95% CI 1.13-19.68). DISCUSSION: In conclusion, high occupational noise exposure level, longer duration of service, low perception of sound on HPD, infrequent used of HPD, and smoking more than 20 packs per year were the contributing factors to hearing impairment, and appropriate intervention measures should be proposed and taken into considerations.