Empowering Youth: A School-Based Digital Awareness Campaign for Sustainable Nipah Virus Prevention in Bangladesh

• Improved student understanding of Nipah transmission risks and prevention practices • Students demonstrated strong retention of prevention knowledge after intervention • School-based interventions are practical, scalable, and effective behavior change Youth under 17 years old are highly vulnerable to Nipah Virus (NiV) infection in Bangladesh due to their risky behaviors, including raw date palm sap consumption and limited awareness. Evidence on effective educational interventions for enhancing knowledge and improving preventive initiatives is still limited. We implemented a school awareness campaign in the NiV-affected areas and assessed the knowledge among students. We conducted a school awareness campaign in 100 educational institutions across 14 Nipah-infected districts utilizing a combination of digital storytelling, audiovisual presentations and leaflet distribution. In addition, we performed baseline and follow-up evaluations using a structured questionnaire in 14 randomly selected institutions. With a three-month interval, we assessed changes in knowledge and awareness among students from junior to higher secondary level. We reached a total of 385 students,with an age range of 11-19 years, where 46% were male . Follow-up participation was 96%. Baseline knowledge of NiV was higher in general school attendees, higher-income families, and areas with recent outbreaks. At follow-up, all groups considering sex, education, type of school, and locations showed significant improvements in knowledge of NiV risk factors, including consuming raw date palm sap (31% to 97%, p<0.001) and contact with infected individuals (12% to 72%, p<0.001). Also, substantial improvement in prevention-related knowledge was observed, notable for wearing face masks (22% to 74%, p<0.001) and handwashing after contact with infected individuals (18% to 87%, p<0.001). In addition, knowledge retention was higher among secondary and higher secondary students compared to junior level students. The educational institute based awareness campaign significantly improved knowledge across sex, education, type of institution and geographical areas. These findings demonstrate that education-based intervention can be practical and scalable approach to enhance awareness among highly vulnerable populations. Also, highlight the potential of integrating digital health literacy into school-based programs to strengthen epidemic preparedness among adolescents.