The contemporary aspect of these challenges is portrayed in the various articles that make up this issue, which highlights a heterogeneous and current reality that refers to the simultaneous coexistence of situations linked to the COVID-19 pandemic, as is the case of the comparative description of infections caused by coronavirus and the aspects of global health associated with the prevention and control of pandemics. The pandemic character of the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection is also highlighted and important issues are still present related to the urgency of behavioral change to prevent new infections, the problem of acceptance of the disease, the stigma and the persistent challenges caused by discrimination in social and medical care contexts.