Africa faces dual pandemic, says US HIV program head

Bloomberg

John Nkengasong, the outgoing head of Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention, said the continent is facing the dual pandemics of Covid-19 and HIV, which could lead to the emergence of new variants.
As he readies himself to lead the US global AIDS program, he warned that the continent is on a very uncertain and unpredictable trajectory if the two viruses continue to circulate and people don’t get timely HIV treatment. “HIV, too, remains a pandemic,” Nkengasong said.
Sub-Saharan Africa is home to about 70% of the total number of people globally infected with HIV, which causes the immune disease AIDS. Nkengasong warned of the threat of new variants if the virus continues to circulate and people don’t get timely HIV treatment.
The next next priorities for Africa should be leveraging gains made during Covid-19 to further strengthen systems across the continent so as to also be better positioned to fight future pandemics, Nkengasong said.