GCSE INNOVATION LABS · CARIBBEAN · SAINT LUCIA
Public Education
for Vector-Borne
Diseases Lab
Reducing mosquito-borne disease risk through sustained, community-driven behavior change across multiple sectors of society.
LAB OVERVIEW
From Awareness
to Lasting Behavior Change
This lab addresses the behavioral and community-level drivers of mosquito-borne diseases — dengue, Zika, and chikungunya — in Saint Lucia, through a national campaign that integrates prevention messaging across multiple sectors of society.
By combining public health strategy with grassroots engagement, the lab builds sustained, community-driven resilience. The approach equips communities with the tools to reduce mosquito breeding sites and exposure risks, while strengthening coordination across ministries.
Core Lab Priorities
Drive long-term behavior change — not just awareness — across communities and institutions
Equip households and communities to reduce mosquito breeding sites and exposure risks
Strengthen cross-ministry coordination for sustained national response
Integrate prevention messaging across schools, tourism, religious institutions, and local communities
Campaign Resources
External Links
METHODOLOGY
A Multi-Sector Approach
The lab's approach is built on the recognition that sustained behavior change requires embedding prevention messaging across every touchpoint of daily community life — not just healthcare settings.
Schools
Curriculum-integrated prevention education reaching students and families simultaneously.
Religious Institutions
Curriculum-integrated prevention education reaching students and families simultaneously.
Tourism
Hotels, resorts, and tour operators as trusted prevention messengers for visitors and workers.
Local Communities
Grassroots engagement equipping households to identify and eliminate breeding sites.
01
Community Mobilization
Engaging community leaders, faith institutions, and local organizations as primary agents of change — moving prevention from top-down messaging to peer-driven norms.
02
Behavior Change Communication
Designing targeted messaging that translates scientific knowledge into practical, actionable household and community prevention steps.
03
Cross-Ministry Coordination
Uniting Health, Tourism, Education, and Religious Affairs ministries behind a shared national prevention strategy — eliminating siloed responses.
04
Sustained Resilience Building
Embedding prevention capacity within communities so that behavior change outlasts the campaign and continues independently.
Dengue
Transmitted by Aedes aegypti mosquitoes. The most widespread mosquito-borne viral disease in the Caribbean, with frequent epidemic cycles.
Zika
A mosquito-borne flavivirus with severe implications for pregnant women and fetal development. Drove the EU-funded campaign program in Saint Lucia.
Chikungunya
A viral disease causing severe joint pain. Spreads rapidly through the Caribbean, often coinciding with dengue outbreaks, stressing health systems.
LAB LEADERSHIP
Principal Investigator
Location
Lab Type
Approach
Saint Lucia
Public Health
Community-Based
Translating Public Health
Science into Community Action
"Long-term behavior change requires meeting communities where they are — in their schools, churches, homes, and workplaces."
Dr. Dunbar leads the lab's work in Saint Lucia, overseeing the national "Mosquito No More" campaign and coordinating across government ministries, public health agencies, and community organizations to build lasting prevention capacity.
His approach combines epidemiological rigor with grassroots engagement — ensuring that prevention knowledge reaches every sector of Saint Lucian society, from tourism workers to schoolchildren to faith communities.
COLLABORATING INSTITUTIONS
Lab Partners
The lab is built on a multi-institutional coalition linking regional public health leadership with Saint Lucia's national ministries for a fully integrated national response.
Government Ministries · Saint Lucia
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Ministry of Health
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Ministry of Tourism
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Ministry of Education
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Ministry of Religious Affairs
Funding Partner
European Union
11th EDF Zika Project
Regional Health
Caribbean Public Health Agency
CARPHA
GET INVOLVED
Interested in this lab or similar work?
Explore membership, partnership opportunities, or learn about GCSE's Senior Fellows Program to lead your own Innovation Lab