Syndemic: A Synergistic Anthropological Approach to the COVID-19 Pandemic
This review describes the relationship between the coronavirus-related pandemic and health inequities. The latter are linked to pre-existing social and economic discriminations in terms of access to healthcare for people affected by chronic diseases. We believe that we are living in a “syndemic pand...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2022-07-01
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2673-8392/2/3/90 |
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| author | Giuseppe Calcaterra Pier Paolo Bassareo Francesco Barilla Francesco Romeo Cesare de Gregorio Paulette Mehta Jawahar L. Mehta |
| author_facet | Giuseppe Calcaterra Pier Paolo Bassareo Francesco Barilla Francesco Romeo Cesare de Gregorio Paulette Mehta Jawahar L. Mehta |
| author_sort | Giuseppe Calcaterra |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | This review describes the relationship between the coronavirus-related pandemic and health inequities. The latter are linked to pre-existing social and economic discriminations in terms of access to healthcare for people affected by chronic diseases. We believe that we are living in a “syndemic pandemic”. The term “syndemic” was originally developed by the medical anthropologist Merrill Singer in the 1990s in order to recognize the correlation between HIV/AIDS, illicit drug use, and violence in the United States. This complex interplay exacerbated the burden of the disease and the prognosis of the patient. Similarly, in COVID-19 infection, socio-economic, ethnic, and racial inequities result in higher morbidity and mortality in certain sections of society. Unfortunately, such differences are becoming too common during the COVID-19 pandemic, in terms of the incidence and prevalence of the disease, as well as inequal access to new medical advances and life-saving therapeutics for those with COVID-19, such as vaccines and monoclonal antibody treatment. Lockdown measures, imposed internationally as a response to the COVID-19 pandemic, are causing economic inequities, which complicate the issue even further. An appropriate syndemic anthropological approach is necessary to ensure that this pandemic does not increase health inequities in access to appropriate treatments. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-10T00:10:57Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-3cd2e5d59bba490195df25fc983c1a30 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2673-8392 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-10T00:10:57Z |
| publishDate | 2022-07-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Encyclopedia |
| spelling | doaj.art-3cd2e5d59bba490195df25fc983c1a302023-11-23T15:59:59ZengMDPI AGEncyclopedia2673-83922022-07-01231344135610.3390/encyclopedia2030090Syndemic: A Synergistic Anthropological Approach to the COVID-19 PandemicGiuseppe Calcaterra0Pier Paolo Bassareo1Francesco Barilla2Francesco Romeo3Cesare de Gregorio4Paulette Mehta5Jawahar L. Mehta6Faculty of Medicine and Surgery, Postgraduate Medical School of Cardiology, University of Palermo, 90127 Palermo, ItalySchool of Medicine, University College of Dublin, Mater Misericordiae University Hospital, D07 R2WY Dublin, IrelandDipartimento Medicina dei Sistemi, University Tor Vergata, 00133 Rome, ItalyUniCamillus International Medical University, 00131 Rome, ItalyDepartment of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Messina, 98122 Messina, ItalyDivision of Cardiovascular Medicine, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, and the Central Arkansas Veterans Healthcare System, Little Rock, AR 72205, USADivision of Cardiovascular Medicine, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, and the Central Arkansas Veterans Healthcare System, Little Rock, AR 72205, USAThis review describes the relationship between the coronavirus-related pandemic and health inequities. The latter are linked to pre-existing social and economic discriminations in terms of access to healthcare for people affected by chronic diseases. We believe that we are living in a “syndemic pandemic”. The term “syndemic” was originally developed by the medical anthropologist Merrill Singer in the 1990s in order to recognize the correlation between HIV/AIDS, illicit drug use, and violence in the United States. This complex interplay exacerbated the burden of the disease and the prognosis of the patient. Similarly, in COVID-19 infection, socio-economic, ethnic, and racial inequities result in higher morbidity and mortality in certain sections of society. Unfortunately, such differences are becoming too common during the COVID-19 pandemic, in terms of the incidence and prevalence of the disease, as well as inequal access to new medical advances and life-saving therapeutics for those with COVID-19, such as vaccines and monoclonal antibody treatment. Lockdown measures, imposed internationally as a response to the COVID-19 pandemic, are causing economic inequities, which complicate the issue even further. An appropriate syndemic anthropological approach is necessary to ensure that this pandemic does not increase health inequities in access to appropriate treatments.https://www.mdpi.com/2673-8392/2/3/90COVID-19syndemicpandemichealthinequality |
| spellingShingle | Giuseppe Calcaterra Pier Paolo Bassareo Francesco Barilla Francesco Romeo Cesare de Gregorio Paulette Mehta Jawahar L. Mehta Syndemic: A Synergistic Anthropological Approach to the COVID-19 Pandemic Encyclopedia COVID-19 syndemic pandemic health inequality |
| title | Syndemic: A Synergistic Anthropological Approach to the COVID-19 Pandemic |
| title_full | Syndemic: A Synergistic Anthropological Approach to the COVID-19 Pandemic |
| title_fullStr | Syndemic: A Synergistic Anthropological Approach to the COVID-19 Pandemic |
| title_full_unstemmed | Syndemic: A Synergistic Anthropological Approach to the COVID-19 Pandemic |
| title_short | Syndemic: A Synergistic Anthropological Approach to the COVID-19 Pandemic |
| title_sort | syndemic a synergistic anthropological approach to the covid 19 pandemic |
| topic | COVID-19 syndemic pandemic health inequality |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2673-8392/2/3/90 |
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