The syndemic burden of HIV/AIDS in Africa amidst the COVID-19 pandemic.

INTRODUCTION: The human immunodeficiency virus/acquired immune deficiency syndrome (HIV/AIDS) has long affected millions of individuals across the globe. Historically, the prevalence of this disease is particularly noted within the African continent. Before the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, many African countries struggled to effectively manage the increasing burden associated with HIV/AIDS. There is now a need to reassess this in a COVID-19 pandemic context so that the impact of COVID-19 on HIV/AIDS healthcare within Africa can be adequately evaluated. METHODS: Data collection was performed on the PubMed, Ovid MEDLINE and Embase bibliographical databases with a predefined search strategy. Searches were performed in blind duplicate and all articles considering COVID-19 and HIV/AIDS within African healthcare were considered. RESULTS: The COVID-19 pandemic has severely exacerbated the many issues surrounding HIV/AIDS care within many African countries. These impacts are noticeable in medical, psychological, and socio-political contexts. CONCLUSIONS: Before efforts are made to improve the provision of HIV/AIDS and COVID-19 care within Africa, it is important that this issue is brought to the attention of the scientific and clinical community so that the continent can receive the necessary support and aid.

Lassa fever amidst the COVID-19 pandemic in Africa: A rising concern, efforts, challenges, and future recommendations.

Lassa fever, caused by the Lassa virus of the Arenaviruses family, is a re-emerging public health concern that has led to 300,000 infections and 5000 deaths annually in Africa. Highly prevalent in Sierra Leone, Liberia, Guinea, Nigeria, Côte d'lvoire, Ghana, Togo, and Benin, patients infected with the virus can manifest with cough, sore throat, headache, nausea, and vomiting among other symptoms. Coexisting with the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic and its impacts, cases of Lassa fever in the African population have been reported to decrease due to hesitancy in visiting clinics that leads to unreported cases-all contributing to a silent outbreak in West Africa. Thus, to overcome current burdens, gaps, and challenges caused by Lassa fever amidst COVID-19 in Africa, various recommendations for efficient control of transmission, measures for disease containment, and strategies to correct misperceptions were made.

Dengue fever outbreak in Cook Island: A rising concern, efforts, challenges, and future recommendations.

The Cook Island government has made several efforts to ensure zero confirmed cases and transmission of COVID-19, especially among visiting travelers. However, the Cook Island ministry of health has to deal with the new strain of dengue fever outbreak, known as dengue fever type 2 (DEN-2), by adopting several measures to control its spread, especially in the affected parts of the subtropical country. This paper aims to describe the dengue fever response taken in Cook Island and suggest recommendations to control the risk of transmission in endemic parts of the world.