Optimal prevention and elimination of infectious diseases

This article studies the optimal intertemporal allocation of resources devoted to prevention deterministic infectious diseases that admit an endemic steady-state. Under general assumptions, control problem is shown be formally similar growth model with endogenous discounting. The dynamics then depends on interplay between epidemiological characteristics disease, labor productivity and degree intergenerational equity. Phase diagrams analysis reveals multiple trajectories, which converge steady-states or without elimination are feasible. Elimination implies initially a larger than in other but after finite date, equal zero. “sooner-the-better” strategy if pure discount rate sufficiently low.