Share Your Syndemic Approach Success Story

A syndemic approach seeks to improve health outcomes by implementing more holistic, “whole person” and “whole community” interventions rather than focusing narrowly on solely one disease. This approach to infectious disease can prevent new infections, reduce disparities, and improve health equity. The Office of Infectious Disease and HIV/AIDS Policy is anchoring its work in a syndemic approach to address not just infectious diseases but the factors that contribute to them.

While syndemics have been a staple of HIV work for decades, those outside of the HIV sphere may be unfamiliar with the term. Syndemics occur when two or more diseases or health conditions cluster and interact within a population because of social and structural factors and inequities, leading to an excess burden of disease and continuing health disparities.

A syndemic approach is necessary to understand the connections between interacting health conditions, diseases, and social and structural determinants of health and inequities. This knowledge drives collective action to address the needs of the whole person and communities. Using a syndemic approach can uncover previously unrecognized interactions between conditions and drive more integrated ways of improving health outcomes.

A key component of the National HIV/AIDS Strategy , Viral Hepatitis National Strategic Plan , and STI National Strategic Plan is to integrate programs to address the syndemics that arise between the intertwined epidemics of opioid and substance use, viral hepatitis, HIV, and STIs. As part of that effort, we are collecting syndemic success stories.

One of our syndemic success stories from the National Syphilis and Congenital Syphilis Syndemic Federal Task Force cross-agency effort, is our ongoing work to reduce the cases of syphilis and congenital syphilis through a variety of collaborative efforts. A recent blog post by Admiral Rachel L. Levine, MD, Assistant Secretary for Health & Head of the United States Public Health Service Commissioned Corps. Department of Health and Human Services highlights this work and successes.

Now we want to hear your syndemic success stories. Tell us about your infectious disease projects that successfully used or are using a syndemic approach.

Please submit your syndemic success stories using the following link, and we may highlight your work in future webinars, on our website, or at conferences and meetings.?If you have any questions, please email [email protected] .?

When we take a syndemic approach, we prioritize communities most in need, empower them to participate in change, and improve health outcomes.?We are excited to hear from you and how you have harnessed a syndemic approach to better serve your communities.