Presentation (CTI)

OBJECTIVES: Dengue imposes a substantial and growing global health and economic burden, particularly in tropical and subtropical regions. Wolbachia-based mosquito biocontrol has emerged as a promising strategy to reduce dengue transmission. Epidemiological evidence is well established, but economic evidence remains fragmented. This study systematically reviews and critically appraises economic evaluations of Wolbachia-based interventions for dengue control.
METHODS: A systematic review was conducted following PRISMA 2020 guidelines. MEDLINE (Ovid), EMBASE (Ovid), PubMed, and CINAHL were searched from database inception to 31 January 2026. Studies evaluating the economic impact of Wolbachia interventions for dengue control were included. Methodological and reporting quality were independently assessed using the CHEQUE framework.
RESULTS: Nine studies met the inclusion criteria, covering settings in Asia and Latin America and predominantly using model-based economic evaluations (Wolbachia interventions were consistently reported as cost-effective and, in several cases, cost-saving. Quality appraisal showed that reporting attributes were consistently well-addressed, whereas methodological attributes were more variable. Limitations were most evident in validation practices, handling of uncertainty, and the absence of distributional considerations. Overall quality scores ranged from 59% to 85%, indicating moderate to high quality.
CONCLUSIONS: Wolbachia-based interventions show strong potential as a cost-effective strategy for dengue control. However, current evidence relies on model-based assumptions and does not fully capture implementation complexity. Strengthening methodological rigour and incorporating implementation considerations will be essential to support policy-relevant decision-making.