MONKEYPOX TRANSMISSION DYNAMICS IN A POPULATION OF MEN WHO HAVE SEX WITH MEN: A MATHEMATICAL MODELLING APPROACH

Abstract: The spread of monkeypox within a human population is investigated in this study using a mathematical model that incorporates the administration of two vaccine doses. The model’s fundamental properties including the non- negativity and boundedness of its solutions are established to ensure its biological and epidemiological significance. The effective reproduction number, an important threshold for assessing disease transmission, is derived using the next generation matrix operator and used to analyse the conditions for the existence of equilibrium states of the model. In addition, the normalized forward sensitivity is performed on the effective reproduction number to identify parameters that strongly influence the spread of the disease in the population. The results provides useful insights into effective control strategies and appropriate intervention measures in reducing monkeypox transmission within the population