Agent-based modeling of public health infrastructure projects in Jalalabad, Afghanistan

Successful counterinsurgency and development in post-war societies require an extraordinarily complex integration of military, political, and socioeconomic operations. In order to combat insurgency and stimulate growth and stabilization in regions of Afghanistan, the International Security Assistance Force has charged the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers with developing an optimal portfolio of infrastructure projects. These projects must ultimately satisfy three lines of operation: security, governance, and development. As a proof of concept, a simulation was developed that measures the quantifiable effects of various project portfolios on citizens´ health in the context of Jalalabad, Afghanistan. This tool utilizes a combination of agent-based modeling and Geographic Information Systems to measure the effect of health related infrastructure projects on a local scale. After simulating sixteen portfolios of projects, we provide a recommended set of projects for completion by the Army Corps of Engineers in Jalalabad.