Research components

Given that the main objective of this research was to reduce the environmental risks that increase the incidence of Aedes-borne diseases in Ecuador, a mixed methods approach was applied. This included, for example, household interviews, randomised mosquito sampling, and the development of a mobile application to facilitate citizen reporting.

• The interviews were based on a pre-established questionnaire completed in a qualitative way, in order to collate information on socioeconomic, cultural, health, environmental, knowledge and practice variables. This information helped to identify localities with greater risk of dengue transmission.
• Additionally, through the development of the purpose-built mobile application, location data on water deposits associated with these surveyed houses was captured by the entomological team. These data will allow for in-depth, quantitative analyses that will further contribute to optimising vector control procedures.

The process includes the following steps, further described below:

Sampling
Data collection
Quality assurance