article · Discover Public Health
Lymphatic filariasis is a parasitic worm disease that impacts roughly 1.4 billion people across tropical regions and is closely associated with poverty. A mathematical framework evaluates four primary intervention measures: public education, bed nets with indoor residual spraying, screening of asymptomatic individuals, and protective measures for susceptible populations. Using optimal control theory and cost-effectiveness ratios, the analysis examines the stability and disease reproduction thresholds under varied intervention budgets. The findings demonstrate that lymphatic filariasis can be eliminated if the control reproduction number remains below one through sustained intervention. Among the tested approaches and combinations, screening asymptomatically infected people proves to be the most cost-effective solution. It delivers reliable disease control at a substantially lower expense than alternative strategies, making it a viable and practical priority for low-resource public health programmes aiming to eradicate the infection.
Lymphatic filariasis places a heavy health and economic burden on roughly 1.4 billion people living in tropical, resource-limited regions. Identifying the most cost-effective control interventions helps healthcare planners allocate scarce public budgets efficiently. Prioritising the screening of asymptomatic carriers allows health authorities to curb transmission effectively while minimising overall expenditure, bringing eradication efforts closer to success.
The mathematical modelling and cost analysis provide decision-support insights that can guide public health agencies, non-governmental organisations, and policy planners in designing disease intervention programmes. While the research demonstrates the clear economic advantage of screening asymptomatic individuals, it remains theoretical early-stage modelling rather than an applied tool or product. Real-world adoption would require translating these findings into field operational guidelines and procurement plans for local diagnostics.
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Lymphatic filariasis is a disease linked to poverty and caused by a parasitic worm. It is prevalent in tropical regions, affecting approximately 1.4 billion people worldwide. This study develops a mathematical model that employs four different control measures: public education campaigns, preventive methods using insecticide-treated bed nets and indoor residual spraying, screening of asymptomatically infected individuals, and efforts to reduce the susceptible human population to create a protected community. The effectiveness and costs of these methods are assessed using Pontryagin’s Maximum Principle, efficiency analysis, and the incremental cost-effectiveness ratio, all of which are framed within a set of nonlinear equations. The analysis also evaluates the stability of the solutions and the control reproduction number to determine the effectiveness of the strategies. A forward bifurcation is proved to exist in the absence of the disease, indicating that the disease will be eliminated when $$R_c < 1$$ , which implies that sustained implementation of control strategies is an essential component of an effective long-term plan for controlling the disease. Furthermore, each strategy is analysed based on its budget and the health benefits it provides. Among the strategy combinations analysed, Strategy C, screening asymptomatic infected individuals, emerges as the most cost-effective option, offering reasonable disease control at a significantly lower cost compared to the other strategies. The strategy is also applicable to all single, double, triple, and quadruple control strategies. These findings highlight the importance of screening the asymptomatic infected individuals, particularly in communities with limited resources, where efficiency is essential for eradicating the disease.
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DOI: 10.1186/s12982-025-01058-8
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