Etymology Coined by Merrill Singer in the mid-1990s. Blend of synergy + demic (“of a population”). Compare epidemic (literally “upon the people”).
1
An aggregation of two or more diseases that interact synergistically within a population.
In sum malnutrition, infectious disease, and cognitive impairment constitute a syndemic that is rooted in and perpetuates suboptimal social, political, and economic conditions.2009, Elaine Marie Bennett, Understanding Childhood Malnutrition in a Maya Village in Guatemala, page 11:
The aggregation of these diseases on a background of social and economic disparity exacerbates the adverse effects of each separate disease. COVID-19 is not a pandemic. It is a syndemic.2020 September 26, Richard Horton, “Offline: COVID-19 is not a pandemic”, in The Lancet, volume 396, number 10255, →DOI:
syndemic
adj
Etymology Coined by Merrill Singer in the mid-1990s. Blend of synergy + demic (“of a population”). Compare epidemic (literally “upon the people”).
1
Describing such a situation
The syndemic nature of the threat we face means that a more nuanced approach is needed if we are to protect the health of our communities.2020 September 26, Richard Horton, “Offline: COVID-19 is not a pandemic”, in The Lancet, volume 396, number 10255, →DOI: