By Demetrie Garner, Molly Giuliano, Bryan Hartzler, Maxine Henry, Katherine Hill, Sarah Kattakuzhy, Apoorva Mallya, Oscar Morgan, Nick Szubiak, Trey Weir, Andrew Wilson, Lindsay Worth, ATTC Network Syndemic Solutions POWER Team
Syndemics represent the compounded effects of multiple, co-occurring epidemics interacting not only biologically, but also socially and structurally. According to the CDC, when conditions such as human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), hepatitis C (HCV), sexually transmitted infections (STIs), and substance use disorders (SUD) converge within populations affected by poverty and limited access to care, the result is a higher risk for negative health outcomes (CDC, 2024). Given the high burden of the diseases and the substantial convergence, it is important to take an integrated approach to addressing these conditions—deemed syndemic solutions. The ATTC Network Syndemic Solutions POWER (Partnering to Optimize Workforce Education and Resources) Team will assemble materials that can assist the addiction workforce in embracing and applying such solutions to better serve clients at the nexus of substance use disorders and syndemic infections (ATTCNCO, 2025).
