Mitigating Disease Spread by Design in Refugee and IDP Camps

Giulia Zarpellon, Joseph Aylett-Bullock, Frank Krauss, Miguel Luengo-Oroz

TL;DR: We leverage the JUNE agent-based epidemic model to introduce a methodology to explore the potential effects of different camp layouts as mitigating factors in the spread of diseases within refugee and IDP settlements.

Abstract: Disease spread represents an increasing challenge in refugee and internally displaced person (IDP) settlements. The movement and interaction of people within camps is influenced by their layout, which therefore has the potential to significantly affect disease spread. This work aims at creating a methodology to explore the potential effects of different camp layouts as mitigating factors in the spread of diseases within settlements. We showcase proof-of-concept experiments by leveraging the JUNE agent-based epidemic model, discuss the kind of operational insights this methodology can facilitate, and provide a framework for future investigations.