Impacts of COVID 19 HIV/AIDS on Global Public Health

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Introduction
Global public health refers to the health of populations across the world. Global health concerns are not only medical but also social, political, and economic issues that affect the wellbeing of individuals—different agencies around the world focus on solving problems related to public health. Despite the efforts, there are numerous issues facing global health. Infectious diseases pose a significant challenge because they are easily transmissible and can blow out of control if not controlled. Covid-19 has been the latest pandemic that has impacted people's everyday lives. Other infectious diseases include Ebola, influenza, HIV/AIDS, and malaria. Infectious diseases for which vaccines have been developed are no longer a public health concern. Non-communicable diseases are increasing among individuals as the world develops (Smith et al., 2021). Mortality rates due to lifestyle diseases continue to increase globally. Other global health challenges include environmental factors, healthcare in war-prone areas, food supplies, and inequality. 
Impact of Covid-19 on the global public health.
Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) is highly infectious and is caused by the SARS-CoV-2 virus. The disease manifests differently in different people. Although severe illness increases the mortality rate, most people experience the mild to moderate form of the disease. The most common symptoms include dry cough, loss of taste and smell, fever, and fatigue. Some people may also experience diarrhea, headaches, joint pain, sore throat, and skin rashes (Larsen et al., 2020). The severe illness causes the individual to experience shortness of breath and chest pain. The incubation period is between five to fourteen days, after which symptoms start to show (Alene et al., 2021). People with other conditions are more likely to experience severe illness after infection with the virus. Cardiovascular diseases, cancer, diabetes, hypertension, and respiratory diseases increase the chances of severe illness and hospitalization. The old and immunosuppressed individuals are also at risk of severe illness once infected. 
Various strains of the virus have been witnessed since the pandemic began. The mutations alter the properties of the virus, thus making it difficult to target it. The changes affect how easily transmissible the virus is, disease severity, diagnosis, and therapeutic measures (Duong, 2021). The main variants of concern recorded since 2020 include the Alpha, Beta, Gamma, Delta, and Omicron strains (Juno & Wheatley, 2021). As the mutation progresses, the virus becomes more robust, making it essential for the public to step up measures to prevent or control the spread. 
Covid-19 is transmitted when people breathe droplets of particles in the air containing the virus. These droplets are absorbed through the mucus membrane of various parts such as the eyes, nose, and mouth (Jayaweera et al., 2020). The risk of contamination is high where people are near each other, for instance, at a conversational distance. Rooms with poor ventilation also increase the period when particles are suspended in the air, thus increasing the risk of contamination. Overcrowding reduces the distance the virus travels, thus promoting infection (Qian & Jiang, 2020). Touching eyes, nose, and mouth after contact with contaminated surfaces may also lead to infection.  
Covid-19 continues to spread worldwide, with the number of deaths rising. Total confirmed cases are more than 418 million worldwide and more than 5.8 million deaths caused by the virus. The highest number of infections have been reported in the U.S (79.8M), India (42.7M), and Brazil(27.8M), followed by France (21.9M), the U.K (18.4M), and Russia(14.8M) (WHO, 2022). Countries with a high population of the old were affected the most. The loss of human life has caused a challenge in global public health. Ripple effects on other aspects of life have resulted from the pandemic, including socioeconomic, food systems, and everyday working routines. Many people have lost their jobs and means of livelihood, which puts them at risk of extreme poverty. 
Various countries have experienced partial or total lockdowns since the pandemic began. Although there are benefits to that, it meant no means of income or getting food for most people. The number of undernourished individuals has risen among the vulnerable, who also lack social protection and access to quality healthcare (Haleem et al., 2020). Food systems have been affected by the pandemic, from growing the crops to trading them to consumers. As the agricultural workers fall ill and die, production decreases. Businesses closing during the lockdown limited access to farm inputs, and some farmers could not afford to purchase seeds and other necessary inputs. The travel and trade restrictions also disrupted access to markets while the confinement measures prevented farmers from harvesting their crops. The border closures and trade restrictions affected local and international food supply chains, therefore reducing access to healthy and diverse diets.
Covid-19 contributed to deaths and health deterioration directly and indirectly by disrupting critical healthcare services. For instance, the focus of health services shifted from other diseases to Covid-19, thus undermining the progress of treating other diseases of public health concern. Due to neglect, the world witnessed more deaths from other diseases not related to the pandemic. The fear of going to health facilities, confinement rules, and travel restrictions worsened the situation. The fight against diseases contributing to high mortality rates in Africa, such as HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, and malaria, was disrupted. 
Various countries have taken measures to curb the spread of the virus. Some of the initiatives include travel restrictions, contact tracing, physical distancing, expanding hospital capacities to accommodate more people, and testing for coronavirus. Governments have also provided personal protective equipment (PPE) for health workers and essential service providers who must work round the clock to provide the much-needed services. Furthermore, various vaccines have been invented to curb the spread of the virus and reduce the severity of the symptoms. Although some countries and individuals were skeptical initially, vaccine uptake has improved in recent times.
Impact of HIV/AIDS on global public health
If not treated, the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) attacks the body's immunity, leading to acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS). The virus impairs the function of immune cells, making the infected individual susceptible to more infections. HIV is believed to have originated from Central Africa through human interactions with chimpanzees. The chimpanzee variety of the virus is called the simian immunodeficiency virus (SIV). The indigenous people hunted the chimpanzees for meat, exposing them to the infected blood (OYEYIPO, 2019). Over time, the virus spread across Africa and to other continents worldwide.
People with acute HIV infection may experience flu-like symptoms within the first two to four weeks. These symptoms include sore throat, fever, chills, muscle aches, fatigue, mouth ulcers, swollen lymph nodes, and skin rashes. The virus multiplies and spreads rapidly during the acute stage of infection. HIV targets the CD4 T lymphocytes (CD4 cells) to destroy them, thus weakening the body's immunity. During the asymptomatic stage, the virus multiplies at a low rate in the body. Individuals in this stage may not experience related symptoms, but the virus is still active and transmissible to other people. HIV to advance to AIDS without medication takes up to ten years, although it may be faster for some people depending on age and general health. Those who start medication at this stage are likely to delay the progression of the infection to AIDS for several years. 
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