Abstract
Neglected tropical diseases (NTDs) constitute one of the core areas where social workers engage as part of multidisciplinary teams to advance health equity in many developing countries. Recognising the pivotal role of intersecting social determinants in shaping health experiences is crucial for devising interventions against NTDs, and health social work essentially contributes to this regard. This study, employing an interdisciplinary mixed methods approach, focuses on individuals with dengue in Puducherry, India. Randomly selecting 220 participants for the quantitative phase and purposefully selecting 30 participants for the qualitative phase, the study assessed the impact of compounded disadvantages on health experience. The findings emphasised the social nature of NTDs and the relevance of social work research in this area. Gender disparities were evident as women faced challenges in managing daily activities and household affairs. Entomological surveys underscored participants’ continued entanglement with the dengue vector. The qualitative phase identified four themes that shaped the health experience, viz. treatment choices, preventive measures, environmental characteristics and administrative factors. While findings align with prior research, they also reveal administrative gaps in addressing structural deficits and intersecting disadvantages, pointing to the need for comprehensive policies and administrative reforms addressing these factors rather than curative medicine alone, indicating the importance of social work interventions.