Médecins Sans Frontières has launched a new dengue project in Tegucigalpa, the capital of Honduras. The initiative aims to strengthen the early detection of dengue cases, ensure timely treatment, and establish community-based epidemiological surveillance systems.
Dengue, a mosquito-borne viral disease, is a recurring public health challenge in Honduras. While many cases are mild, severe dengue can cause serious complications and can be fatal without timely treatment.
The project will focus on the San Miguel Integrated Health Centre and the Peripheral Emergency Unit in El Hato. A collaboration between local communities, the Ministry of Health (SESAL), the Metropolitan Health Region of the Central District, and MSF. Through this partnership, the project also seeks to strengthen community engagement and encourage residents to take an active role in protecting their health.
By fostering community leadership and self-management, the initiative aims to promote sustainable self-care practices within the catchment area of the San Miguel Integrated Health Centre (CIS San Miguel).
Between 2023 and 2025, MSF implemented an arboviral disease prevention project in the La Joya, El Edén, and El Manchén neighborhoods of Tegucigalpa to help control dengue, Zika and Chikungunya. Building on those efforts, the new project in Tegucigalpa aims to replicate this collaborative model of intervention with communities and local health authorities to improve the response to dengue cases during peak transmission periods.
As part of the earlier initiative, more than 7,500 households were reached through an integrated vector control strategy. The approach included the release of mosquitos carrying Wolbachia bacteria, which inhibits mosquitoes’ ability to transmit dengue and other arboviruses. Because Wolbachia is passed from one generation of mosquitoes to the next, the method can remain effective over time to once established in the mosquito population.
The project also included indoor residual spraying and the use of pyriproxyfen discs in households. Preliminary findings are encouraging, and further analysis is underway ahead of a forthcoming scientific publication.
Beyond its contribution to dengue prevention and public health, the project also strengthened community cohesion and introduced new approaches to civic participation. It helped develop local leadership and laid the foundations for community ownership and the long-term sustainability of self-managed health initiatives.
By combining community engagement and strengthened health services, the project aims to improve the response to dengue and support long-term prevention efforts in communities on the outskirts of Tegucigalpa.
