Multi-agent simulation of water contact´s patterns in relation to schistosomiasis: A BDI architecture using kernel functions

In this work, we propose an architecture based on the BDI (Belief, Desire and Intention) paradigm to specify simple rules in order to reproduce, through a multi-agent simulation, individual behaviors to obtain emerging collective behaviors. We have established this architecture in a context of studying the phenomenon of Individuals accessibility to potentially infective waters with Schistosomiasis. Our approach is to consider the “Human-Water” contact as a phenomenon emerging from human behavior in respect to water areas. Such behavior is determined by a combination of social, economic, demographic, cultural, temporal, and spatial factors in the context of studied populations. An application of this architecture is implemented with a specific case of schistosomiasis in Niamey (Niger).