1 University of Illinois Springfield, IL, USA.
2 Federal Ministry of Health, Nigeria.
Research Article
World Journal of Advanced Research and Reviews, 2022, 16(03), 1203-1216
Received on 10 November 2022; revised on 22 December 2022; accepted on 26 December 2022
HIV is one of the most persisting global health challenges in major regions where high-risk groups face comorbidities that are usually associated with HIV. This research uses a syndemic approach to understand the relationship of HIV with comorbid conditions such as Tuberculosis (TB) and Hepatitis B and C, sexually transmitted infections (STIs), and related social factors such as substance abuse, poverty, and low access to health care services. With the help of epidemiological modeling and other data-centric methods, this study seeks to uncover the unknown patterns of comorbid infections and identify their effects on transmission of HIV as well as other health impacts. Using those methods, we examine diverse types of data including surveillance reports, clinical notes, and social behavioral information of the injecting drug users (IDU), men who have sex with men (MSM), and sex workers. The results indicate that these unleveled syndemic conditions increase the probability of HIV infection and reduce treatment compliance, resulting in degrading general well-being. Other social determinants such as stigma and discrimination also exacerbate the impacts on already vulnerable populations. These findings suggest the critical need for effective, interdisciplinary public health response to contain HIV infections and evaluate other socio-environment need of such affected regions. We suggest that harm reduction programs, screening and tailoring intervention approaches should be done by specialized healthcare workers for the vulnerable populations. Furthermore, it is crucial for policymakers, healthcare professionals, and community institutions to work together to create specific, effective, and long-lasting interventions. Fulfilling this goal helps in deepening the understanding of the epidemiology of HIV, co-infections and understanding the social determinants that require special attention for effective interventions in public health.
HIV; Syndemics; Co-Infections; Epidemiology; High-Risk Populations; Public Health Interventions
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Kenechukwu Chiadika Moneke, Latefaat Mosaku and Igbeleke Ogunboye. Unraveling Hidden Trends: A syndemic approach to HIV epidemiology and co-infections in high-risk populations. World Journal of Advanced Research and Reviews, 2022, 16(3), 1203-1216. Article DOI: https://doi.org/10.30574/wjarr.2022.16.3.1388