Community participation and community engagement in the response to the Zika-Virus-Outbreak in Latin America 2015-2019 - A Scoping Review

Introduction: Zika virus infection during pregnancy is often associated with the occurrence of numerous neurologic malformations in new-born babies. Usually, the transmission of the Zika virus happens through the bite of an infected mosquito of the Aedes genus but might as well occur through sexual contact or blood transfusions. Currently, there is no approved specific treatment, medication-based prophylaxis or vaccine available against Zika virus infection, thus prevention measures play an important role in combating the spread of this infectious disease. This scoping review aims to collect data about public health programmes in context of the Zika virus epidemic in Latin America that employ the principles of a community-based participatory research. Methods: Three scientific databases (Medline, Cochrane Library and Scopus) were screened for relevant literature and additionally, official websites of health organizations such as WHO, UNICEF, ECDC, CDC and PAHO were included in the search. The review was conducted following the Preferred Reporting Items for Scoping Reviews and Meta-Analysis extension for Scoping Reviews (PRISMA-ScR) checklist. The authors developed a data-charting map to collect relevant information from each publication to analyse the content. Results: Overall, 46 papers were included in the review. Each of the studies contained at least one of the following indicators: actual participation or involvement in a public health intervention, assessment of knowledge or awareness degree and preventative actions, assessment of disease perception or behaviour changes. Key topics were divided into four broad categories: 1) Mosquito vector control initiatives, 2) Contraception and reproductive healthcare, 3) Family support programmes and 4) Assessment of knowledge, perception and barriers. Conclusions: Through engaging local communities, especially vulnerable groups, awareness of risks associated with a Zika virus infection can be raised and enable people to protect themselves. The current work demonstrates that community engagement is an essential strategy to implement preventive measures and improve health-outcomes.