Objective

To investigate the negative risk barriers for the prevention and control of dengue that prevail in the population and in the institutional and sectoral responsible of the city of Cartagena.

Materials and Methods

A qualitative, narrative-ethnographic design approach supported by the COMBI methodology was used. The population was 90 people residing in the three localities belonging to the District of Cartagena de Indias (Colombia) and registered in the Administrative Department of District Health (hereinafter DADIS), specifically in the National System of Public Health Surveillance (Sivigilia), with high incidences or probabilities of suspected cases of dengue fever and cases of dengue.

Results

People reside in houses made of cardboard, wood, zinc, block, cement, eternity shelters. Although they are aware of the problem of dengue, they relate it to other diseases such as the cold and the flu. They give more importance to other social problems, such as violence and insecurity in the area. The educational and preventive messages in the press, radio and television made by DADIS and other dengue control entities do not cover all the measures that must be implemented for the prevention and control of the disease.

Conclusion

The transmission of dengue can be related to socio-economic factors such as: little knowledge the com-munity has about the health consequences that Dengue transmission can cause; the attitude and practices indifferent to this pathology, as well as the insufficient educational and preventive communication carried out by DADIS through communication channels and social networks, among others.