Economic burden of Dengue Fever and awareness among small-scale livestock farmers in Kerala

Dengue fever is a vector-borne disease that poses significant public health and economic challenges in tropical regions. This study combined a state-level economic burden assessment with a community-level awareness survey to provide complementary evidence on the economic impact of Dengue in Wayanad, Kerala. A longitudinal secondary data analysis and cross-sectional survey were conducted to understand the situation. Economic burden estimates used DALY data from the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation and Gross State Domestic Product per capita from the Government of Kerala, with a ۳% discount rate. Primary data were collected from ۳۸۲ dairy farmers using a validated KAP questionnaire. The findings showed a significant rise in the economic burden of Dengue in Kerala, from ₹۹۲۴.۹۵ million in ۲۰۱۱–۱۲ to ₹۱.۶۵ billion in ۲۰۲۳–۲۴. Even after discounting, it remained high at ₹۱.۱۵ billion in ۲۰۲۳–۲۴. Awareness was good in ۵۵.۷۶% of the respondents, while ۴۴.۲۴% showed poor awareness. Knowledge was satisfactory, with ۸۴.۰% of the participants reporting moderate to high levels of knowledge. However, ۶۴.۷۰% had very low attitude scores, and ۳۶.۹۰% had very low preventive practice scores. No significant associations were found between awareness and socio-demographic or farm-level characteristics of the farmers. The study concludes that Dengue continues to exert a considerable economic burden on Kerala, while awareness gaps, particularly in attitudes and preventive behaviours, persist among rural dairy farmers. Community-based health education and behavioural change interventions are essential for strengthening Dengue prevention and reducing its long-term socioeconomic impact.

کلیدواژه ها:

awareness ، Dengue Fever ، Economic burden ، Dairy farmers