Mathematical Models to Understand the Dynamics of Water Borne Disease and its Impact on Public Health

Abstract

Waterborne diseases, such as cholera, typhoid fever, and malaria, remain major global health concerns, and their transmission rates are largely driven by contaminated water sources, poor sanitation conditions, and human behavioral factors. Mathematical modelling has, therefore, become an important tool for enhancing knowledge of the complex dynamics of transmission of these diseases, as well as for the evaluation of the efficiencies of public health interventions. This review integrates current modelling approaches, emphasizing both model formulation and analytical methods. It highlights some of the gaps in the literature, such as the limited number of models that integrate multiple transmission pathways and the tendency for very few to properly account for delays in the implementation of interventions. Recent developments, including deterministic and stochastic models, sensitivity analyses, and the newer approach of fractional-order systems, are discussed in terms of their potential for closing the gap between theoretical frameworks and real-world epidemiological patterns. Overall, the review emphasizes the utility of mathematical modelling to help develop effective strategies for water purification, vaccination, and community education that will lower the burden of waterborne diseases.