Figure 2.

Optimal use of new approaches depends on epidemiological context. Different phases of epidemiological containment and control lend themselves to different analytical approaches and data sources. Here, we have highlighted the spatial dimensions of this issue, with emergence and elimination phases exhibiting high spatial heterogeneity. In these cases, pronounced heterogeneity produces signals in data that can be leveraged to model the spread of infection between populations. For endemic infections where prevalence is distributed throughout the country and controlling disease burden is the primary purpose of interventions, the use of age profiles of exposure and other analytical approaches may be used to enhance or make use of patchy or poor quality data.