An Update on Syndemics

Dear Colleagues,

The theory of syndemics hypothesizes that observed clusters of diseases in specific temporal and geographical contexts are the result of harmful socio-environmental conditions resulting in mutually enhancing deleterious consequences. For the past 25 years, the concept has informed an array of health-related disciplines, proving valuable in health research, policy, and practice.

This Special Issue aims to highlight new syndemic arrangements of infectious diseases in order to inform health policy and interventions. While HIV-related syndemics remain the most studied, new disease arrangements related to COVID-19 and other epidemics (e.g., SARS, Zika, Ebola, dengue, chikungunya, mucormycosis) have emerged that warrant investigation. Furthermore, while epidemics may transcend national borders, driven by analogous influencing social factors, syndemic factors take on unique arrangements in different social, political, economic, and geographic contexts. Place-based assessments are much needed to develop context-specific solutions.

For this Special Issue, we ask scholars working in the field to consider novel syndemic attributes of clusters of infectious diseases that result in worse health outcomes than each condition in isolation. Topics of interest include, but are not limited to, the following: (1) infectious diseases and other health conditions concentrated in a population; (2) the health conditions interacting biologically; and (3) social conditions interacting with health conditions in a manner that increases infectivity or disease progression.

Scholars are asked to present evidence of the observed syndemic, clearly addressing all three dimensions of syndemic theory (biological factors, social factors of populations affected, and synergistic interaction). Manuscripts are not limited to specific methods (qualitative, quantitative, or mixed) but should address how the findings inform effective public health control strategies beyond those currently employed and address novel syndemic arrangements.

Dr. Nicola Bulled
Prof. Dr. Merrill Singer
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Tropical Medicine and Infectious Disease is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2700 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

• infectious diseases
• syndemics
• tropical disease
• social determinants of health
• policy
• intervention
• global health