Article ID: | iaor20041059 |
Country: | Germany |
Volume: | 25 |
Issue: | 2 |
Start Page Number: | 265 |
End Page Number: | 291 |
Publication Date: | Jan 2003 |
Journal: | OR Spektrum |
Authors: | Flea S. |
Keywords: | developing countries |
The Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS) constitutes the worst hazard to health care systems in Eastern Africa. Misallocation of scarce resources of AIDS Control Programmes will unavoidably lead to additional infections and casualties. The following paper discusses a system dynamics model which allows to assess the impact of different interventions on a pattern population in Eastern Africa. It becomes obvious that short- and long-term consequences of these programmes differ significantly. The optimal allocation of resources, therefore, is highly complex and calls for decision support systems to sustain AIDS control programmes.