Modelling the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) epidemic : a review of the substance and role of models in South Africa

Date
2018
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Medpharm Publications
Abstract
We review key mathematical models of the South African human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) epidemic from the early 1990s onwards. In our descriptions, we sometimes differentiate between the concepts of a model world and its mathematical or computational implementation. The model world is the conceptual realm in which we explicitly declare the rules – usually some simplification of ‘real world’ processes as we understand them. Computing details of informative scenarios in these model worlds is a task requiring specialist knowledge, but all other aspects of the modelling process, from describing the model world to identifying the scenarios and interpreting model outputs, should be understandable to anyone with an interest in the epidemic.
Description
CITATION: Geffen, N. & Welte, A. Modelling the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) epidemic : a review of the substance and role of models in South Africa. Southern African Journal of HIV Medicine, 19(1):a756, doi:10.4102/sajhivmed.v19i1.756.
The original publication is available at https://sajhivmed.org.za
Keywords
Epidemiology -- Mathematical models, HIV infections -- South Africa -- Mathematical models, HIV infections -- South Africa -- Computer simulation, Mathematical models -- Computer simulation -- Evaluation
Citation
Geffen, N. & Welte, A. Modelling the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) epidemic : a review of the substance and role of models in South Africa. Southern African Journal of HIV Medicine, 19(1):a756, doi:10.4102/sajhivmed.v19i1.756