Tropical disease mitigation is a multifaceted, complex issue that spans many disciplines within the natural sciences, social sciences, and humanities. Effective control and prevention of diseases like malaria and dengue fever requires integrated research in order to understand these problems within their social and cultural contexts. This type of interdisciplinary research was recently endorsed by the American Academy of Arts and Sciences (2013) as critical for developing effective solutions for the world’s problems. Adopting such an interdisciplinary approach, we discuss various social, cultural, and ethical issues related to the control of dengue fever and malaria, especially those pertaining to the potential use of transgenic technologies.
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