Modelling waterborne diseases.

Abstract

Waterborne diseases are among the major health problems threatening the life of individuals globally. This thesis investigates the dynamics of waterborne disease under different conditions and consequently determines possible intervention strategies to minimize the spread of the disease. The following problems are addressed: The effects of seasonal variations on the dynamics of waterborne disease together with the possible benefits of control intervention strategies such as vaccination, treatment and provision of clean water under the assumption of a homogeneous population are investigated. Specifically, we determine the optimal use of the intervention strategies to mitigate the spread of the disease. The dynamics of waterborne disease in a multiple socioeconomic class community is explored. Particularly, we investigate the effects of migration of individuals due to socioeconomic reasons on the dynamics of waterborne disease under the assumption of heterogeneous mixing population. We examine the effects of multiple contaminated water sources on the dynamics of waterborne disease under the assumption of homogeneous population. We also consider the problem of minimizing cost and determine the optimal use of vaccination to reduce the spread of infections. The effects of heterogeneity on the transmission dynamics of waterborne disease is explored. Furthermore, we scrutinize use of the control intervention strategies to mitigate the spread of the infections under a heterogeneous population setting.