{"paper_id":"4760a60d-e458-44d2-b3ff-af404f37fa68","body_text":"Towards Effective and Economical Helminth Control: A Case Study in Amhara, Ethiopia | Research Square window.SnipcartSettings = { analytics: { enabled: false } }; (function() { var accessVector = localStorage.getItem('access_vector') || ''; window.dataLayer = window.dataLayer || []; if (accessVector) { window.dataLayer.push({ user: { profile: { profileInfo: { snid: accessVector } } } }); } })(); (function(w,d,s,l,i){w[l]=w[l]||[];w[l].push({'gtm.start':new Date().getTime(),event:'gtm.js'});var f=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0],j=d.createElement(s),dl=l!='dataLayer'?'&l='+l:'';j.async=true;j.src='https://www.googletagmanager.com/gtm.js?id='+i+dl;f.parentNode.insertBefore(j,f);})(window,document,'script','dataLayer','GTM-K279D39R'); Browse Preprints In Review Journals COVID-19 Preprints AJE Video Bytes Research Tools Research Promotion AJE Professional Editing AJE Rubriq About Preprint Platform In Review Editorial Policies Our Team Advisory Board Help Center Sign In Submit a Preprint Cite Share Download PDF Research Article Towards Effective and Economical Helminth Control: A Case Study in Amhara, Ethiopia Haileyesus Tessema, Yehualashet Mengistu, Wondwosen Kassahun, and 3 more This is a preprint; it has not been peer reviewed by a journal. https://doi.org/ 10.21203/rs.3.rs-6589011/v1 This work is licensed under a CC BY 4.0 License Status: Posted Version 1 posted You are reading this latest preprint version Abstract Introduction: Soil transmitted helminth (STH) infection in human population occurs in marginalized low-income, and resource-constrained regions of the world with more than one and half billion people in developing sub-Saharan Africa, Asia and America. Objective: In this paper a deterministic mathematical model for Soil transmitted helminth (STH) infection with an optimal control model was developed and analyzed to examine the best cost-effective integrated strategy in control and eliminate the disease from the community. Methodology: An optimal control SEIAR deterministic model of helminth infection transmission dynamics with cost-effectiveness analysis. An optimal control model with three control variables (namely sanitation and personal hygiene (SPH) ( u1 ); Health education (HE) ( u2 ) and Mass drug administration (MDA) ( u3 ) ) is formulated. The pontryagin’s maximum principle is used to derive the Hamiltonian, the adjoint variables, the characterization of the controls and the optimality system. An Incremental Cost-Effectiveness Ratio (ICER) is used to investigate cost-effective integrated intervention method to reduce the disease in the community. Numerical simulations were performed using Forwardbackward sweep iterative method. Results: We obtained the Hamiltonian, the adjoint variables, the characterization of the controls and the optimality system. From numerical simulations an integrated strategy prevention and uprooting was found to be a best cost-effective strategy to combat STH infection. From the numerical results we obtained that strategy A (combination of SPH and HE) is most cost effective of all strategies for fighting against STH infection in the community. Therefore, attention should be given for the integrated strategy by stakeholders and policymakers to control STH. Soil transmitted helminth Optimal Control Theory Pontryagin’s maximum principle Numerical Simulation cost-effectiveness Analysis Full Text Additional Declarations No competing interests reported. Cite Share Download PDF Status: Posted Version 1 posted You are reading this latest preprint version Research Square lets you share your work early, gain feedback from the community, and start making changes to your manuscript prior to peer review in a journal. As a division of Research Square Company, we’re committed to making research communication faster, fairer, and more useful. We do this by developing innovative software and high quality services for the global research community. Our growing team is made up of researchers and industry professionals working together to solve the most critical problems facing scientific publishing. Also discoverable on Platform About Our Team In Review Editorial Policies Advisory Board Help Center Resources Author Services Accessibility API Access RSS feed Manage Cookie Preferences © Research Square 2026 | ISSN 2693-5015 (online) Privacy Policy Terms of Service Do Not Sell My Personal Information {\"props\":{\"pageProps\":{\"initialData\":{\"identity\":\"rs-6589011\",\"acceptedTermsAndConditions\":true,\"allowDirectSubmit\":true,\"archivedVersions\":[],\"articleType\":\"Research Article\",\"associatedPublications\":[],\"authors\":[{\"id\":457204838,\"identity\":\"fc9eba83-ae1b-40b9-b7e9-250540297efc\",\"order_by\":0,\"name\":\"Haileyesus Tessema\",\"email\":\"data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAZAAAAAyAQMAAABI0h/eAAAABlBMVEX///8AAABVwtN+AAAACXBIWXMAAA7EAAAOxAGVKw4bAAAA/ElEQVRIiWNgGAWjYBACAwbGxgMIbgUQMzM3ENLScABEQcAZkBZGQloYGBBaGNvAJH4t5uyHGw78YPgjJ99/+OiGn/Nqo/nbgVp+VGzDqcWyJ7HhYA+DgbHBjbS0m73bjufOOMzYwNhz5jZuhx1IbDjAw2CQuEGCx+wG77ZjuQ1ALcyMbXi0nH/YcPAPg0H9/P7z327+nXMsdz5BLTcSGw4DbUlgOJDDdpu3oSZ3A2EtDxsOyxgYG264kWZ2W+bYgdyNQC0H8frlfPrDh28q5OSBIfbs5puautx55w8ffPCjArcWqEY46zCYPEBAPQqoI0XxKBgFo2AUjBAAAHpCZGQJNt/2AAAAAElFTkSuQmCC\",\"orcid\":\"\",\"institution\":\"University of Gondar\",\"correspondingAuthor\":true,\"prefix\":\"\",\"firstName\":\"Haileyesus\",\"middleName\":\"\",\"lastName\":\"Tessema\",\"suffix\":\"\"},{\"id\":457204839,\"identity\":\"242a6dc4-ae7d-4fd4-9003-d460eabfd599\",\"order_by\":1,\"name\":\"Yehualashet Mengistu\",\"email\":\"\",\"orcid\":\"\",\"institution\":\"University of Gondar\",\"correspondingAuthor\":false,\"prefix\":\"\",\"firstName\":\"Yehualashet\",\"middleName\":\"\",\"lastName\":\"Mengistu\",\"suffix\":\"\"},{\"id\":457204840,\"identity\":\"24edf51a-71ed-49f5-bc41-7be83071827f\",\"order_by\":2,\"name\":\"Wondwosen Kassahun\",\"email\":\"\",\"orcid\":\"\",\"institution\":\"University of Gondar\",\"correspondingAuthor\":false,\"prefix\":\"\",\"firstName\":\"Wondwosen\",\"middleName\":\"\",\"lastName\":\"Kassahun\",\"suffix\":\"\"},{\"id\":457204841,\"identity\":\"7dec7c6d-a6fc-4bab-870b-47c7b1813141\",\"order_by\":3,\"name\":\"Yibeka Wale\",\"email\":\"\",\"orcid\":\"\",\"institution\":\"University of Gondar\",\"correspondingAuthor\":false,\"prefix\":\"\",\"firstName\":\"Yibeka\",\"middleName\":\"\",\"lastName\":\"Wale\",\"suffix\":\"\"},{\"id\":457204842,\"identity\":\"72c1da84-11e2-4d59-830b-584c4905470b\",\"order_by\":4,\"name\":\"Yaregal Animut\",\"email\":\"\",\"orcid\":\"\",\"institution\":\"University of Gondar\",\"correspondingAuthor\":false,\"prefix\":\"\",\"firstName\":\"Yaregal\",\"middleName\":\"\",\"lastName\":\"Animut\",\"suffix\":\"\"},{\"id\":457204843,\"identity\":\"81f706ff-c30b-4a75-9c66-38c5adda643e\",\"order_by\":5,\"name\":\"Worku Dubie\",\"email\":\"\",\"orcid\":\"\",\"institution\":\"Central Gondar Zone Health Office\",\"correspondingAuthor\":false,\"prefix\":\"\",\"firstName\":\"Worku\",\"middleName\":\"\",\"lastName\":\"Dubie\",\"suffix\":\"\"}],\"badges\":[],\"createdAt\":\"2025-05-04 14:53:17\",\"currentVersionCode\":1,\"declarations\":\"\",\"doi\":\"10.21203/rs.3.rs-6589011/v1\",\"doiUrl\":\"https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-6589011/v1\",\"draftVersion\":[],\"editorialEvents\":[],\"editorialNote\":\"\",\"failedWorkflow\":false,\"files\":[{\"id\":82891232,\"identity\":\"bcd7abe4-c5f4-4cf3-bb77-ae6eeb1295e0\",\"added_by\":\"auto\",\"created_at\":\"2025-05-16 12:12:04\",\"extension\":\"pdf\",\"order_by\":1,\"title\":\"\",\"display\":\"\",\"copyAsset\":false,\"role\":\"manuscript-pdf\",\"size\":1082493,\"visible\":true,\"origin\":\"\",\"legend\":\"\",\"description\":\"\",\"filename\":\"TowardsEffectiveandEconomicalHelminthDisease.pdf\",\"url\":\"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-6589011/v1_covered_d2fd5177-1adf-4012-a150-b3d85e7d9946.pdf\"}],\"financialInterests\":\"No competing interests reported.\",\"formattedTitle\":\"Towards Effective and Economical Helminth Control: A Case Study in Amhara, Ethiopia\",\"fulltext\":[],\"fulltextSource\":\"\",\"fullText\":\"\",\"funders\":[],\"hasAdminPriorityOnWorkflow\":false,\"hasManuscriptDocX\":false,\"hasOptedInToPreprint\":true,\"hasPassedJournalQc\":\"\",\"hasAnyPriority\":true,\"hideJournal\":true,\"highlight\":\"\",\"institution\":\"\",\"isAcceptedByJournal\":false,\"isAuthorSuppliedPdf\":true,\"isDeskRejected\":\"\",\"isHiddenFromSearch\":false,\"isInQc\":false,\"isInWorkflow\":false,\"isPdf\":true,\"isPdfUpToDate\":true,\"isWithdrawnOrRetracted\":false,\"journal\":{\"display\":true,\"email\":\"info@researchsquare.com\",\"identity\":\"researchsquare\",\"isNatureJournal\":false,\"hasQc\":true,\"allowDirectSubmit\":true,\"externalIdentity\":\"\",\"sideBox\":\"\",\"snPcode\":\"\",\"submissionUrl\":\"/submission\",\"title\":\"Research Square\",\"twitterHandle\":\"researchsquare\",\"acdcEnabled\":true,\"dfaEnabled\":false,\"editorialSystem\":\"\",\"reportingPortfolio\":\"\",\"inReviewEnabled\":false,\"inReviewRevisionsEnabled\":true},\"keywords\":\"Soil transmitted helminth, Optimal Control Theory, Pontryagin’s maximum principle, Numerical Simulation, cost-effectiveness Analysis\",\"lastPublishedDoi\":\"10.21203/rs.3.rs-6589011/v1\",\"lastPublishedDoiUrl\":\"https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-6589011/v1\",\"license\":{\"name\":\"CC BY 4.0\",\"url\":\"https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/\"},\"manuscriptAbstract\":\"\\u003cp\\u003e\\u003cstrong\\u003eIntroduction: \\u003c/strong\\u003eSoil transmitted helminth (STH) infection in human population occurs in marginalized low-income, and resource-constrained regions of the world with more than one and half billion people in developing sub-Saharan Africa, Asia and America. Objective: In this paper a deterministic mathematical model for Soil transmitted helminth (STH) infection with an optimal control model was developed and analyzed to examine the best cost-effective integrated strategy in control and eliminate the disease from the community.\\u003c/p\\u003e\\n\\u003cp\\u003e\\u003cstrong\\u003eMethodology:\\u003c/strong\\u003e An optimal control SEIAR deterministic model of helminth infection transmission dynamics with cost-effectiveness analysis. An optimal control model with three control variables (namely sanitation and personal hygiene (SPH) (\\u003cem\\u003eu1\\u003c/em\\u003e); Health education (HE) (\\u003cem\\u003eu2\\u003c/em\\u003e) and Mass drug administration (MDA) (\\u003cem\\u003eu3\\u003c/em\\u003e) ) is formulated. The pontryagin’s maximum principle is used to derive the Hamiltonian, the adjoint variables, the characterization of the controls and the optimality system. An Incremental Cost-Effectiveness Ratio (ICER) is used to investigate cost-effective integrated intervention method to reduce the disease in the community. Numerical simulations were performed using Forwardbackward sweep iterative method.\\u003c/p\\u003e\\n\\u003cp\\u003e\\u003cstrong\\u003eResults:\\u003c/strong\\u003e We obtained the Hamiltonian, the adjoint variables, the characterization of the controls and the optimality system. From numerical simulations an integrated strategy prevention and uprooting was found to be a best cost-effective strategy to combat STH infection. From the numerical results we obtained that strategy A (combination of SPH and HE) is most cost effective of all strategies for fighting against STH infection in the community. Therefore, attention should be given for the integrated strategy by stakeholders and policymakers to control STH.\\u003c/p\\u003e\",\"manuscriptTitle\":\"Towards Effective and Economical Helminth Control: A Case Study in Amhara, Ethiopia\",\"msid\":\"\",\"msnumber\":\"\",\"nonDraftVersions\":[{\"code\":1,\"date\":\"2025-05-16 12:03:56\",\"doi\":\"10.21203/rs.3.rs-6589011/v1\",\"editorialEvents\":[{\"type\":\"communityComments\",\"content\":0}],\"status\":\"published\",\"journal\":{\"display\":true,\"email\":\"info@researchsquare.com\",\"identity\":\"researchsquare\",\"isNatureJournal\":false,\"hasQc\":true,\"allowDirectSubmit\":true,\"externalIdentity\":\"\",\"sideBox\":\"\",\"snPcode\":\"\",\"submissionUrl\":\"/submission\",\"title\":\"Research Square\",\"twitterHandle\":\"researchsquare\",\"acdcEnabled\":true,\"dfaEnabled\":false,\"editorialSystem\":\"\",\"reportingPortfolio\":\"\",\"inReviewEnabled\":false,\"inReviewRevisionsEnabled\":true}}],\"origin\":\"\",\"ownerIdentity\":\"4333116e-abf5-4618-828b-ee29d78f8487\",\"owner\":[],\"postedDate\":\"May 16th, 2025\",\"published\":true,\"recentEditorialEvents\":[],\"rejectedJournal\":[],\"revision\":\"\",\"amendment\":\"\",\"status\":\"posted\",\"subjectAreas\":[],\"tags\":[],\"updatedAt\":\"2025-06-16T08:53:33+00:00\",\"versionOfRecord\":[],\"versionCreatedAt\":\"2025-05-16 12:03:56\",\"video\":\"\",\"vorDoi\":\"\",\"vorDoiUrl\":\"\",\"workflowStages\":[]},\"version\":\"v1\",\"identity\":\"rs-6589011\",\"journalConfig\":\"researchsquare\"},\"__N_SSP\":true},\"page\":\"/article/[identity]/[[...version]]\",\"query\":{\"redirect\":\"/article/rs-6589011\",\"identity\":\"rs-6589011\",\"version\":[\"v1\"]},\"buildId\":\"8U1c8b4HqxoKbykW_rLl7\",\"isFallback\":false,\"isExperimentalCompile\":false,\"dynamicIds\":[84888],\"gssp\":true,\"scriptLoader\":[]}","source_license":"CC-BY-4.0","license_restricted":false}