Teaching about inequity in vector-borne diseases management through a socioscientific issue framework

The distribution and management of vector-borne diseases (VBD) are affected by social and
cultural systems, including systematic oppressive systems such as racism and classism. University classes
that cover these diseases usually focus on biological concepts while skimming over the social, economic,
and cultural factors that influence them. Here, we present a lesson plan intended to be taught at the end of
VBD- like courses to emphasize the equity issues that impact VBD management while also serving as a
capstone for the biological content taught in the class. The lesson draws from effective place-based and
socioscientific issues instruction to a role-playing activity where groups of students are given separate
VBD outbreaks to combat with specific budgets. The role-playing scenarios are based on the
demographic and disease risk data from local contexts. Therefore, each group has unequal resources to
manage the disease depending on their specific local context. The simulation is followed by a group
discussion about the equity in disease management. The lesson plan has been written in four languages
(English, Spanish, Portuguese, and Mandarin) according to the corresponding locations (Texas-USA,
Spain, Brazil, and China) which are included in the supplementary materials for quick use or as examples
of its adaptability. Incorporating this lesson into the curriculum is an important step for developing future
entomologists, parasitologists, epidemiologists, and other One Health professionals to address disparities
in VBD control and help drive the field forward equitably.