Medical Student and Youth Involvement in Tropical Disease Response: A Scoping Review

Abstract

Introduction

Tropical diseases, including neglected tropical diseases (NTDs), disproportionately affect low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), where outbreak response capacity is often limited. Medical students and youth volunteers represent a substantial yet underutilised resource in response efforts; however, no comprehensive synthesis of their roles exists. This review aimed to map and characterise existing evidence on medical student and youth involvement in tropical disease outbreak response and identify gaps to inform future research and practice.

Method

A PRISMA-ScR-guided scoping review was conducted using a PCC (Population, Concept, Context) framework. Database searches from PubMed, Scopus, OVID, and Google Scholar yielded 1,653 records. After screening on Covidence, 34 full texts were identified, of which 18 met inclusion criteria. A modified Covidence Extraction 2 tool was utilised for data extraction, including participant group, intervention type (mobilisation, educational, information-gathering), tropical disease focus, disease phase focus (prevention, outbreak response, prevalence monitoring), and key findings.

Results

Eighteen studies (2005–2025) were included, predominantly from LMICs in sub-Saharan Africa, Latin America, and South/Southeast Asia. Medical students were the primary group (n=13); others involved community youth or high-school students. Activities included community mobilisation and health education (n=11), surveillance and information gathering (n=9), and preventative practices (n=6). Malaria (n=7), Ebola (n=2), and vector-borne diseases predominated; seven studies addressed NTDs. Study designs were largely descriptive or observational, with few studies formally evaluating outcomes; only three reported community-level health improvements attributable to student-led activities.

Conclusion

Medical students and youth are engaged across prevention, surveillance, and outbreak response for tropical diseases, primarily in community-facing roles. However, the evidence base remains methodologically heterogeneous and lacks robust outcome-focused evaluation. This review establishes a foundation for future prospective, outcome-measured research to determine whether initiatives involving or integrating medical students and youth can meaningfully impact outbreak response and tropical disease prevalence.

Keywords:

Medical students, youth volunteers, tropical disease, outbreak response, neglected tropical diseases