Health Promotion for Wolbachia-Based Dengue Control: A Scoping Review of Regulatory Readiness, Community Engagement, and Communication Strategies

Siti Rahmah (Doctoral Program of Epidemiology, Faculty of Public Health, Universitas Indonesia, Indonesia. Enviromental Health Departemen, Poltekkes Mamuju, Mamuju, Indonesia)
Tri Yunis Miko Wahyono (Departement of Epidemiology, Faculty of Public Health, Universitas Indonesia, Depok, Indonesia)
Evie Martha (Departemen of Health Education and Behavioral Sciences, Faculty of Public Health, Universitas Indonesia, Depok, Indonesia)
Ede Surya Darmawan (Departemen of Health Administration and Policy, Faculty of Public Health, Universitas Indonesia, Depok, Indonesia)
Farida Murtiani (Department of Research, Sulianti Saroso Infectious Disease Hospital, Jakarta, Indonesia)

Media Publikasi Promosi Kesehatan Indonesia (MPPKI)
Vol. 9 No. 10 (2026)

Introduction: Wolbachia-based interventions have emerged as an effective strategy for reducing dengue transmission in endemic countries. However, successful implementation depends on comprehensive pre-release preparation, and evidence describing these preparatory models has not been synthesised systematically. This scoping review aimed to map and synthesise preparation models for Wolbachia-based dengue control programmes across dengue-endemic countries, focusing on regulatory preparation, community engagement, and communication strategies that facilitate community acceptance and successful implementation. Methods: Following PRISMA-ScR and Population–Concept–Context frameworks, we systematically searched PubMed/MEDLINE, Scopus, ScienceDirect, and Taylor & Francis for 2014 to 2025 publications describing Wolbachia pre-release processes in Asia, Latin America, Oceania, and Africa. All study designs reporting regulatory preparation, mosquito production/logistics, community engagement, and communication strategies were included. Data were extracted using standardised forms and synthesised narratively and thematically. Results: Of the 848 identified studies, 13 met the inclusion criteria. The review results identified three interacting Wolbachia programme preparations: regulatory preparation, community engagement, and communication. These domains were associated with mechanisms such as institutional legitimacy, dialogue, trust-building, informed participation, and context-sensitive communication that may support implementation readiness and community acceptance. Conclusion: The review suggests that Wolbachia programme preparation may support community acceptance through interconnected mechanisms of institutional legitimacy, dialogue, trust-building, informed participation, community-based structures, and context-sensitive communication, although these mechanisms may vary across social and regulatory contexts. These findings provide guiding principles for future Wolbachia-based dengue control programmes in diverse settings. This framework provides practical guidance for policymakers and public health practitioners seeking to strengthen community acceptance and support sustainable deployment of Wolbachia in dengue-endemic settings.