Regional Dengue Meeting, Nadi, Fiji Islands, 27 November 2008
A one-day meeting on dengue fever
was held in Nadi, Fiji Islands,
on November 27, 2008,
using the opportunity provided by the
2nd Pacific Avian and Pandemic Influenza Taskforce (PAPITaF) meeting.
Background
Outbreaks of dengue serotype 4 (DEN-4) spread across several Pacific Island countries and territories (PICTs) in the second half of 2008, after previous outbreaks due to DEN-1. To help PICTs respond to this situation, a one-day meeting on dengue was held in Nadi on November 27, 2008, using the opportunity provided by the 2nd Pacific Avian and Pandemic Influenza Taskforce (PAPITaF) meeting.
Objectives
Most of the participants were human health representatives also involved in pandemic influenza preparedness. Thus, looking for synergies between pandemic influenza preparedness in PICTs and broader preparedness for epidemics in general, as exemplified by dengue, was an obvious theme for the meeting. Such preparedness includes capacity development in surveillance and response, social mobilisation, legal frameworks, multi-sectoral approaches and surge capacity.
Further objectives were to review current knowledge of the epidemiology and public health impact of dengue and vector-control measures, and identify possible knowledge gaps in dengue control that may need operational research specific to the Pacific Islands (e.g. the use of biological control methods); provide advocacy for effective dengue control, and share and discuss successful dengue control experiences and strategies that could be adapted elsewhere; identify training needs for vector control and clinical management, and examine how existing training programmes could help address them; discuss and clarify current procedures for laboratory confirmation, including serotyping, and update participants on the role and availability of dengue rapid diagnostic tests; discuss aspects of the regional dengue strategy, in particular the private sector component, in the context of the Pacific Islands, and contribute to the preparation of a regional dengue vector surveillance and control project.
World Café session > What’s the World Café?
A special technique called World Café (see box below) was used for a group work and brainstorming session in the afternoon. Five questions were chosen to explore different aspects of public-private partnerships in dengue prevention and control:
 1. How can the private sector contribute to initiating or strengthening community-
based activities for the elimination of dengue vector breeding sites?
> Read the summary of responses
 2. Of the various dengue prevention and control activities, which ones are better
done by the public sector and which by the private sector? Why?
> Read the summary of responses
 3. The tourism sector is usually identified as the most important business sector in
relation to dengue prevention and control. Which other sectors/businesses may
also have a strong interest? Why? If in specific countries, where?
> Read the summary of responses
 4. It seems that significant stakeholders in the tourism sector don't want to be
publicly associated with dengue prevention and control because they think it’s
bad publicity. Are their concerns justified? How can this perception/situation
be changed?
> Read the summary of responses
 5. When relying on the private sector for dengue prevention and control, are
there issues of equity? If yes, what can be done to reduce these inequalities?
> Read the summary of responses
What’s the World Café?
The World Café is an innovative and simple methodology for hosting group discussions. Views and ideas are built on and further developed as groups move from one discussion space to the next and people move between groups. Through this process of ‘cross-pollination’, the World Café draws on the collective intelligence of participants in a short period of time.
Principles Set the context: You must have a clear idea of the What and Why of the café. Create a hospitable space where everyone feels free to offer their best ideas: Choose a warm, inviting environment (e.g. comfortable chairs around tables, with different food and refreshments offered at each table). Find and brief facilitators for each discussion space (or table). Find questions that are relevant to the real-life concerns of the participants (in consultation with the facilitators): Questions must be simple and clear, thought-provoking and generate energy. Encourage all participants to contribute to the conversation. Connect diverse perspectives: The facilitator at each table summarises the conversation of the previous round for the newcomers, ensuring that important points are available for consideration in the upcoming round. Listen together and notice patterns. Share collective discoveries.
For more information, contact Christelle Lepers at christellel@spc.int
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