Mathematical modelling key to disease control: IIT-P director

Patna: Emphasising the importance of mathematical modelling of diseases in their effective control, the director of IIT-Patna, T N Singh, on Monday said that it enables public health officials to forecast epidemic trajectories, optimise limited medical resources (such as vaccine stockpiles), and test hypothetical interventions safely without risking lives.Inaugurating a six-day faculty development programme on “mathematical modelling of diseases” under the Malaviya Mission Teacher Training Centre (MMTTC) at IIT-P here, Singh pointed out that mathematical modelling plays a crucial role in understanding the spread of diseases, making effective decisions based on accurate information, and formulating prevention strategies.Referring to the deep-rooted foundation of mathematical modelling in ancient India, he observed that the precise calculation of the value of ‘pi’ mentioned in the ‘Shulba Sutras’ and Aryabhata’s remarkable estimation of the distance between the earth and the sun using geometric principles outlined in the ‘Surya Siddhanta’ are manifestations of the mathematical modelling.

He further emphasised that by integrating demographic, environmental, and biological data, models reveal the hidden mechanisms of transmission (e.g.

, the impact of climate change on dengue).Programme coordinator and mathematics department head Prashant K Srivastava said the programme will strengthen the knowledge, analytical skills, and research capabilities of faculty members, researchers, and academicians in the rapidly evolving interdisciplinary field of mathematical disease modelling.