ERADICATION OF SCHISTOSOMIASIS THROUGH PUBLIC HEALTH AWARENESS AND APPLICATION OF APPROPRIATE MOLLUSCICIDES TO CONTROL SNAIL POPULATION: AN INTERVENTION STRATEGY

Schistosomiasis is assumed to be one of the deadliest and overlooked endemic diseases found in tropical and sub-tropical regions, which is increasing at a concerning rate annually. The World Health Organization (WHO) has introduced a new roadmap for neglected tropical diseases from 2021 to 2030, with the elimination of schistosomiasis from all endemic countries as a global objective. In this paper, we develop a compartment model to represent the disease transmission and to understand the impact of parameters including public health awareness, number of parasite eggs, miracidia emergence rate, snail control parameter, and efficacy of pesticides on the dynamics of disease transmission. The basic reproduction number, [Formula: see text] is calculated using the next-generation matrix method, which serves as a crucial indicator of infection risks. The local stability of disease-free equilibrium and endemic equilibrium is established analytically using [Formula: see text]. Through sensitivity analysis, the key parameters are identified that significantly affect [Formula: see text]. Based on our model analysis, we hypothesize that massive public health awareness along with moderate snail control with efficacious molluscicides (pesticides) is the most sustainable intervention strategy to eradicate the disease from the tropical and sub-tropical regions.