Mathematical Analysis of Malaria-Schistosomiasis Coinfection Model

Abstract

We formulated and analysed a mathematical model to explore the cointeraction between malaria and schistosomiasis. Qualitative and comprehensive mathematical techniques have been applied to analyse the model. The local stability of the disease-free and endemic equilibrium was analysed, respectively. However, the main theorem shows that if RMS<1, then the disease-free equilibrium is locally asymptotically stable and the phase will vanish out of the host and if RMS>1, a unique endemic equilibrium is also locally asymptotically stable and the disease persists at the endemic steady state. The impact of schistosomiasis and its treatment on malaria dynamics is also investigated. Numerical simulations using a set of reasonable parameter values show that the two epidemics coexist whenever their reproduction numbers exceed unity. Further, results of the full malaria-schistosomiasis model also suggest that an increase in the number of individuals infected with schistosomiasis in the presence of treatment results in a decrease in malaria cases. Sensitivity analysis was further carried out to investigate the influence of the model parameters on the transmission and spread of malaria-schistosomiasis coinfection. Numerical simulations were carried out to confirm our theoretical findings.