Role of Community Virologists in Arboviral Disease Surveillance in Ogun State

Arboviral diseases including dengue, chikungunya, and yellow fever are re-emerging in Nigeria's South West zone, yet community-level virological surveillance infrastructure remains underdeveloped outside of tertiary institutions. Community virologists, as trained mid-level disease surveillance professionals, are positioned to extend laboratory-linked surveillance into primary healthcare settings. This study evaluates the role and effectiveness of community virologists in arboviral disease surveillance activities in Ogun State, South West Nigeria. A mixed-methods design will survey 80 community virologists and disease surveillance notification officers deployed at LGA health departments across Ogun Central, Ogun East, and Ogun West senatorial districts. Quantitative data will assess specimen collection rates, reporting timeliness, vector breeding site mapping participation, and laboratory referral completion. Qualitative interviews will explore barriers including inadequate transport logistics, specimen cold chain gaps, and limited community trust in surveillance activities. A concurrent review of Ogun State arboviral case reporting data submitted to the NCDC between 2021 and 2024 will assess temporal trends. Findings will characterise the operational contribution of community virologists to arboviral surveillance in Ogun State and provide evidence for the state's Epidemiology and Disease Control Directorate to strengthen workforce capacity and supply chain support for community-level arboviral surveillance. Keywords: community virologist, arboviral surveillance, Ogun State, dengue, chikungunya