Covid-19: What's a 'syndemic'?

NEW DELHI: Researchers have revealed that Covid-19 pandemic came as a double blow for people with non-communicable diseases (NCDs) such as diabetes, cancer, respiratory problems or cardiovascular conditions in countries like India, Bangladesh, Pakistan and others.


Assessing the "synergistic" impact of Covid-19 on such people, the researchers found that there has never been a more dangerous time for them than the ongoing pandemic.

What is a Covid syndemic ?

According to the researchers, the coronavirus pandemic combined with high global rates of obesity , diabetes and other chronic diseases is called a "Covid syndemic".

The study, published in The Lancet , found that the rise in chronic diseases, combined with a failure of public health to tackle preventable risk factors, had left populations vulnerable to health emergencies such as the coronavirus pandemic.

"The 'syndemic' nature of the threat we face demands that we not only treat each affliction, but also urgently address the underlying social inequalities that shape them," Richard Horton, the Lancet's editor-in-chief said.

According to the study lead author Uday Yadav from the University of New South Wales (UNSW) in Australia, the interaction between NCDs and Covid-19 was important to study because global data showed Covid-19-related deaths were disproportionately high among people with NCDs.

"This illustrates the negative effect of the Covid-19 'syndemic' -- also known as a 'synergistic epidemic' -- a term coined by medical anthropologist Merrill Singer in the 1990s to describe the relationship between HIV/AIDS, substance abuse and violence," Yadav said.

According to Yadav, the Covid-19 syndemic would persist, just as NCDs affected people in the long-term.


Strategy to handle people with NCDs

Based on the findings, the researchers recommended a series of strategies for healthcare stakeholders -- such as decision-makers, policymakers and frontline health workers -- to better manage people with NCDs amidst the syndemic.

They urged policymakers to develop plans for how to best provide health services to people with NCDs, from the moment they are assessed through to their treatment and palliation.

The researchers said digital campaigns could be developed to disseminate information on how to make positive behaviour changes and better self-manage NCDs and Covid-19.

According to the scientists, decentralising healthcare delivery for people with NCDs is critical to manage the syndemic. The researchers said governments should ensure effective social and economic support for people with NCDs who are vulnerable to catching Covid-19, particularly indigenous, rural, and refugee communities, as well as people with severe mental illness.

Study findings

The Global Burden of Disease (GBD) study is the most comprehensive of its kind. Published in The Lancet medical journal, it analysed 286 causes of death, 369 diseases and injuries and 87 risk factors in 204 countries and territories to offer a view on the underlying health of the global population and the impact of Covid-19.

The study found that leading causes of ill health in people aged 50 and older worldwide were ischaemic heart disease, stroke, and diabetes. In younger people - aged 10 to 49 - road injuries, HIV/AIDS, lower back pain and depressive disorders were dominant.

He said chronic conditions such as high blood pressure, high blood sugar, obesity and high cholesterol suffered by millions around the world had played a critical role in driving the more than 1 million deaths caused by Covid-19 to date.

(With agency inputs)