Global public health efforts to address HIV and related communicable disease syndemics

Purpose of review To review recent progress in public health efforts to address HIV, and the extent to which key approaches can be applied to three key epidemics that commonly co-occur with HIV: TB, viral hepatitis, and STIs. Recent findings The public health approach to tackling HIV in low-income and middle-income settings relied on standardized treatment regimens and monitoring approaches, task sharing and community involvement, and decentralized and integrated service delivery. These approaches can all be applied to three key epidemics that commonly co-occur with HIV: TB, viral hepatitis, and STIs. HIV, viral hepatitis, and STIs share common routes of infection, and HIV weakens the immune system, increasing the risk of TB. A public health approach can be applied to address these syndemics.