Current Context of Pneumonia Amidst the COVID-19 Pandemic in Africa

Since the emergence of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, several countries have been strongly affected by the different impacts of the disease. This has not been different in Africa, where in addition to the current load of COVID-19, there are other epidemics (such as pneumonia) that have aggravated the situation. In this perspective article, we discuss various aspects of pneumonia amidst the COVID-19 pandemic in Africa, including its burden, current status and efforts, and related challenges.

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.

Bird flu outbreak amidst COVID-19 pandemic in South Africa: Efforts and challenges at hand.

Over the months of April and May 2021, South Africa has witnessed several outbreaks of highly infective avian influenza (H5N1) in different poultry farms. This came as a shock to a country that was already battling with the deadly COVID-19 pandemic. The emergence of the virus has spurred import bans and massive culls in the poultry business. Local experts have also called for a restriction on the movement of people and cars in and out of their chicken farms. Employees have also been encouraged to shower in the mornings when they arrive at the farms and wear fresh clothes, as the flu spreads very quickly. In a country that is already facing the economic implications of the COVID-19, this has the potential to cause a significant dent in the economy, as well as severely impact people's day-to-day life. Bird flu-also called avian influenza-is a viral infection that can infect not only birds but also humans and other animals. The threat of a new influenza pandemic has prompted countries to draft national strategic preparedness plans to prevent, contain and mitigate the next human influenza pandemic. This paper describes the South African burden, current efforts, and preparedness against the avian influenza virus.

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.