Paper presented at the 5th Strathmore International Mathematics Conference (SIMC 2019), 12 - 16 August 2019, Strathmore University, Nairobi, KenyaHIV-HCV co-infection is whereby an individual is infected with both viruses HIV and HCV.
Globally, approximately 4 to 5 million people are co-infected with HIV and HCV. HCV
infection significantly causes morbidity and mortality among HIV patients. HCV is known to
progress faster and cause more liver-related health problems and death among people who are
HIV/AIDS positive than those who are negative. Co-infection with HCV complicates the
management of HIV/AIDS. Mathematical modeling generally provides an explicit framework
by which we can develop and communicate an understanding of transmission dynamics of an
infectious disease. In this article, a deterministic model is used in which ordinary differential
equations are formulated and analyzed to study the HIV-HCV co-infection dynamics in
absence of therapy. The findings reveal that the basic reproduction number for HIV-HCV co
infection dynamics is equal to the maximum of single-disease basic reproduction numbers.
This implies that the dynamics of the HIV-HCV co-infection will be dominated by the disease
with the bigger basic reproduction numberInstitute of Mathematical Sciences, Strathmore University, Nairobi, Kenya.
Uganda Virus Research Institute
London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, Ugand
