Transforming Dengue Control: E-Dengue's Frontier

Researchers from the US and Australia are collaborating in Vietnam to test an early-warning dengue platform called E-Dengue. Led by Southern Cross University, this initiative aims to integrate predictive models into public health practice, shifting from reactive to proactive dengue intervention.

Thousands of dengue forecasting models have faced publication hurdles, but few offer practical public health utility. In an effort to address this, researchers are testing a new early-warning platform, E-Dengue, in Vietnam.

Developed through international collaboration, this software is designed to assist with district-level decision-making concerning dengue interventions. Southern Cross University, in collaboration with Yale University and Vietnam's National Institute of Hygiene and Epidemiology, spearheads this initiative.

The coming years are crucial for determining whether early warnings can translate into timely health responses. The initial tests in Vietnam's Mekong Delta will serve as a benchmark for potential expansion in dengue-prone regions like Thailand and Cambodia.

(With inputs from agencies.)