The first case of HIV was discovered along the Congo base trade routes in 1920, but the first official case of the virus was confirmed in 1959 in a man in Congo after his blood sample was retrospectively analyzed, and the Lenti Virus was discovered. Researchers soon discovered that there have been similar deaths with the same cartel of infectious diseases, and hence claimed that HIV may have been Endemic for years without human knowledge of it.

By 1980, it has spread to the United States of America and was common amongst gay men. Later on, it was discovered amongst hemophiliac patients and heroin users. It was then officially named AIDS in September of 1982.

Congo was crucial at that time to the spread of the virus as its routes had major roads, rivers, railways that could potentially connect to the entire world. It was also a booming center for the sex trade and sex workers.

The infection was first discovered in Nigeria in Lagos, in a 13-year-old female sex worker, in 1985, and hence the curiosity to learn about this virus began to grow amongst west African health care professionals.

HIV is believed to be a cross-species infection from either chimpanzees or monkeys to humans. The hunter instinct of man-eating these animals has been blamed for the cross-infection. The Simian immunodeficiency Virus, SIV is very similar to HIV 1 which affects humans and is hence believed to be a mutated strain of the SIV virus that affects chimpanzees.

HIV, Hepatitis Virus, HBV, and HCV have been around for ages. It was discovered that the virus HBV was a dormant infection in early birds of the dinosaur's age. It infected birds such as songbirds and was preserved frozen in its genome until they had a way to infect humans. This discovery could potentially aid in the understanding and possible treatment of HBV infections.

HBV mostly affects hepatocytes, Liver cells, and aside from tobacco, it has been implicated as one the second most carcinogenic instruments in humans, amounting to over 80 percent of all hepatic cancer causative agents. It's been reported that a whopping total of 95 percent of humans who get infected with this virus fully recovers, just 5 percent end up with the lifetime infection and come down with its characteristic flu-like symptoms.

With this little history in mind, we dive back to business, the silent Endemic of these two viruses in west Africa.

During the late 90s when HIV and other viral infections first came Into the limelight, the scare it created was second to none Just like the recent outbreak of coronavirus and the scare it created during its first few months, that scare is no longer there. People have gotten used to the idea that HIV has come to stay and there is little or nothing that could be done about it, hence the reduction in awareness and campaign of the intricate nature of the virus, especially in developing countries.

Aside from Congo, countries in West African countries are currently the worst hit in the world, yet the world is silent and the countries do not care anymore. The awareness surrounding the spread and nature of this virus has been drastically reduced that it's believed that almost 20th-century kids have little or no idea about the virus and how dangerous it could be, they only know that there was once a scary monster called HIV and Hepatitis.

What's even worrisome is that the rate of mortality from this virus, according to recent research is on the increase, yet sensitization is on the decrease and the question is why? Could it be funded? Could it be that the world has seen that those most affected by this virus have no means to afford it and so, no need to pursue a cure?

Funding plays a very pivotal role in how bad the Endemic of HIV has gotten. During the early days of the viral outbreak, there were so many NGOs and government support to funding and researching this deadly virus. Media campaigns were on top gear and private and public sectors were keen on understanding this disease. But as time went on, and all these fundings and government aids resulted in only palliative management drugs and no apparent cure to these infections, and also the reality that these drugs are so expensive that an average infected person could not afford them without giant subsidization, hence relying on NGOs and rich sponsors, many chief investors decided to back out from funding these projects and this resulted in what we have today, a serious backflow of information and sensitization about the virus.

The viral outbreak has since gone from bad to worse, a key example of what's happening in terms of the viral paradox is the increasing number of people who come to the limited HIV and Hepatitis government clinics every day to take their subsidized drugs. Sadly, a drug that was once free of charge, People now have to pay a certain amount of money to get a dose of it that may not even be enough for a month. Rationing and using"connection" to get these drugs have become the order of the day. Once a patient sees the stress involved in getting these drugs, they quit coming to the clinic.

Another sad aspect of this endemic is the price for laboratory testing of the Viral Genome. These tests are so costly, costing over 500 dollars that an average patient cannot afford to run them.

The sad reality becomes the anger-based spread of the Virus, "because someone infected me, I must infect another". And this has been the case with the increasing rate of infections amongst the youths, with many of them infecting their colleagues on purpose, just to get revenge for getting the virus in the first place.

These, sadly have been going on unhindered and unnoticed, this endemic has been silent for too long and has killed many for far too long, the fight should begin again.