Perception of the population on the role of authorities and communities in controlling arboviruses

Abstract

The environmental control for prevention of arboviruses depends both on the actions of public  authorities and the involvement of communities. The  present study analyzed the perception of 385 citizens  of 17 municipalities from the 5 regions of Brazil  regarding the actions of the authorities and the  community itself in relation to the control and  prevention of dengue. The participants acknowledged that actions such as basic sanitation, regular waste  collection, inspection of vacant lots and closed homes have often been neglected by the authorities. There  was a tendency to hold the community accountable, through the example of neighbors who do not carry  out prevention procedures. It was also noteworthy the silencing around unfavorable social conditions that  can hinder the implementation of prevention procedures. We also reflected on the damage that the COVID-19 pandemic has caused to preventive practices and its possible future impacts.