Medicine
Syndemic Theory in Overlapping Disease Epidemics
Quick fact
The term 'syndemic' was coined by medical anthropologist Merrill Singer in the 1990s to describe the synergistic interaction of substance abuse, violence, and AIDS, showing how these epidemics amplify each other's harm.
Why this is interesting
Imagine two diseases that, when they collide, create a perfect storm that's far more harmful than either alone. How does that happen?