Sensitivity of Malaria-HBV Co-Infection Dynamics to Parameter Changes: A Mathematical Analysis

Abstract

Malaria and Hepatitis B Virus (HBV) co-infection pose significant health challenges, particularly in tropical developing countries. This study develops a mathematical model describing the co-infection dynamics of Malaria and HBV diseases in human populations. The model is divided into eleven compartments, and its qualitative analysis reveals the equilibrium points, positivity of solutions, and invariant regions. The disease-free equilibrium point and reproduction numbers are determined, indicating local asymptotic stability. Sensitivity analysis identifies key parameters influencing the co-infection model, including HBV recovery rate, malaria transmission probability in humans, and probability of transmission of malaria in mosquitoes. Numerical simulations demonstrate that increasing HBV recovery rate and decreasing malaria transmission probabilities can effectively control the spread of the infection. Specifically, increasing HBV recovery rate reduces HBV-only and Malaria-HBV co-infected populations, while decreasing malaria transmission probabilities in humans and mosquitoes reduces Malaria-only, HBV-only, and Malaria-HBV co-infected populations. These findings provide valuable insights for policymakers and stakeholders to develop effective strategies for controlling the spread of Malaria-HBV co-infection.