Resource Allocation for Epidemic Control in Metapopulations

PLoS One
[Accessed 19 September 2011]
http://www.plosone.org/article/browse.action;jsessionid=577FD8B9E1F322DAA533C413369CD6F3.ambra01?field=date

Resource Allocation for Epidemic Control in Metapopulations
Martial L. Ndeffo Mbah, Christopher A. Gilligan vaccination to prevent or mitigate the spread of an outbreak … , they show that when vaccine supplies are limited … , it is optimal to target vaccination toward the more PLoS ONE: Research Article, published 13 Sep 2011 10.1371/journal.pone.0024577

Abstract 
Deployment of limited resources is an issue of major importance for decision-making in crisis events. This is especially true for large-scale outbreaks of infectious diseases. Little is known when it comes to identifying the most efficient way of deploying scarce resources for control when disease outbreaks occur in different but interconnected regions. The policy maker is frequently faced with the challenge of optimizing efficiency (e.g. minimizing the burden of infection) while accounting for social equity (e.g. equal opportunity for infected individuals to access treatment). For a large range of diseases described by a simple SIRS model, we consider strategies that should be used to minimize the discounted number of infected individuals during the course of an epidemic. We show that when faced with the dilemma of choosing between socially equitable and purely efficient strategies, the choice of the control strategy should be informed by key measurable epidemiological factors such as the basic reproductive number and the efficiency of the treatment measure. Our model provides new insights for policy makers in the optimal deployment of limited resources for control in the event of epidemic outbreaks at the landscape scale.