A PRIMARY SURVEY FOR THE NOVEL SYNTHESIS OF METHODS TO COMBAT VECTOR-BORNE DISEASES AND RELATED LONG TERM MANAGEMENT

Combating vector-borne diseases demand a multidisciplinary, multi-pronged approach due to various socio-economic factors as well as the disparities among stakeholders between different regions, even within a relatively small area of a village and its fringes. In this work, we did an initial survey to gauge the baseline knowledge about four different macro parameters in a rural area of Purba Bardhamman, West Bengal. The four macro parameters, combined, is to be used in our succeeding work for better management of vector-borne diseases in the future as well as equip the youth with parallel skills that can help them come up to date with the skills the current age demands. The study found that, based on the response, the volunteers on the specific region in that specific time were highly aware of the textbook- basics of mosquito vectors and vector-borne diseases (at equivalent 10th Grade level). They were also moderate to highly aware of personal and close family protection, while only around half reported in-situ measures undertaken by the government. For the case of technological awareness, the users of smart phones were the majority, but more constructive (as opposed to consumptive) tools such as computers were less common. The familiarity with programming tools, a very useful skill in its own right, was also low. However, the desire to learn and improve them was subjectively very high, which was a positive signal. This survey shows promising avenues for inculcating technological tools to combat vector-borne diseases in the future, which is a direction for future work.