Mathematical modelling of the effects of public health educational campaigns on the transmission dynamics of Taenia solium Taeniasis

Abstract

Taenia solium Taeniasis is a zoonotic intestinal infection that poses a significant threat to public health and imposes a substantial economic burden on developing regions, particularly in Sub-Saharan Africa. This study formulates and rigorously analyses a deterministic mathematical model, comprised of a system of non-linear ordinary differential equations, to investigate the transmission dynamics of the parasite under the influence of public health education campaigns. Using the next-generation matrix method, we derive the effective reproduction number, $R_{ed}$, as the fundamental threshold for disease persistence. Stability analysis demonstrates that the disease-free equilibrium is globally asymptotically stable when $R_{ed}<1$, ensuring disease eradication, whereas the infection persists and reaches a stable endemic equilibrium when $R_{ed}>1$. Numerical simulations are provided to validate the analytical findings and to explore the parameter space associated with behavioural modification. The results indicate that public health education is a highly effective control measure, capable of significantly reducing prevalence and potentially eliminating T. solium Taeniasis in endemic settings.