Data Modeling

Mathematical and Computational Data Modeling
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RESEARCH ARTICLE   (Open Access)

A Technology-Driven Business Model for Affordable Sachet Drinking Water in Bangladesh: Addressing Waterborne Diseases and Water Contamination

Abstract 1. Introduction 2. Materials and Methods 3. Results 4. Discussion 5. Conclusion References

Shafia Sultana 1*

+ Author Affiliations

Data Modeling 5 (1) 1-8 https://doi.org/10.25163/data.5110851

Submitted: 21 October 2024 Revised: 14 December 2024  Accepted: 22 December 2024  Published: 24 December 2024 


Abstract

Safe drinking water remains, frustratingly, out of reach for millions in Bangladesh, where waterborne diseases like cholera, typhoid, and dysentery continue to claim an estimated 50,000 lives annually (Muhammad et al., 2017). Much of this stems from contaminated water sources and, somewhat counterintuitively, from bottled water itself — plastic storage has been linked to pH degradation (Kumar et al., n.d.) and, more troublingly, microplastic contamination detected in 93% of tested bottles (Mason et al., 2018). This paper set out to examine whether sachet drinking water, already established in markets like Nigeria, Ghana, and the Philippines (Stoler et al., 2012a, 2012b), could offer a more affordable and reliable alternative if paired with full automation — something not yet attempted in Bangladesh. Methodologically, the study combined a narrative synthesis of the epidemiological and market literature with the specification of a two-part automated business model: a Merchant Hub for ordering and tracking, and an Order Management Hub governing production, quality control, and delivery logistics. Results indicated that sachet water compares favorably to existing alternatives on cost, portability, and quality assurance (Islam et al., 2014), while the proposed system architecture demonstrates how automation could reduce human error and improve traceability through instrumented quality control and QR-code verification. The paper concludes that a technology-driven sachet water model holds real, if not yet empirically tested, promise for reducing waterborne disease burden in Bangladesh, provided financing, regulatory, and educational supports are developed alongside it.Keywords: sachet water, waterborne diseases, water contamination, automated business model, public health

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