TITLE:
The Game-Theoretical Model of Using Insecticide-Treated Bed-Nets to Fight Malaria
AUTHORS:
Mark Broom, Jan Rychtář, Tracy Spears-Gill
KEYWORDS:
Game Theory, Malaria Prevention, Optimal Strategy, Epidemic Modelling, SIS Model
JOURNAL NAME:
Applied Mathematics,
Vol.7 No.9,
May
26,
2016
ABSTRACT: Malaria infection is a major problem in
many countries. The use of the Insecticide-Treated Bed-Nets (ITNs) has been
shown to significantly reduce the number of malaria infections; however, the
effectiveness is often jeopardized by improper handling or human behavior such
as inconsistent usage. In this paper, we present a game-theoretical model for ITN
usage in communities with malaria infections. We show that it is in the
individual’s self interest to use the ITNs as long as the malaria is present in
the community. Such an optimal ITN usage will significantly decrease the
malaria prevalence and under some conditions may even lead to complete
eradication of the disease.