Office of Infectious Disease Syndemic Prevention Services

Stock image of five microorganisms close up

Who We Are

The Office of Infectious Disease within the Washington State Department of Health provides services to prevent and control sexually transmitted infections, HIV, and viral hepatitis, and assesses the incidence and prevalence of these diseases. The office is also responsible for the HIV Client Services Early Intervention Program, which pays for medications, insurance premiums and limited medical, mental health, and dental care for low-income, eligible people living with HIV; and for supporting efforts to improve the health of people who use drugs, including support for syringe service programs and administration of the statewide Overdose Education & Naloxone Distribution Program. It tracks and assesses disease and health conditions by collecting, analyzing, and evaluating data. It also maintains databases that aid in prioritizing resources toward current data trends.

Website Purpose

This website serves as a place for DOH required trainings, deliverable grids and workplans, guidance documents, and other resources.

Many agencies throughout the state, both local health jurisdictions and community-based organizations, are funded and contracted to provide Syndemic prevention services in the following categories:

Community-based integrated infectious disease testing and linkage to services in high-impact settings
Syndemic service navigation
Syringe Services Programs
PrEP Housing and supportive services
Mail-order naloxone project
Innovative Syndemic community engagement and community-drive capacity building projects

What is a Syndemic?

Syndemics are a clustering of two or more social or health conditions within a population—such as sexually transmitted infections (including HIV), viral hepatitis, substance use disorder, and mental health conditions.

Syndemics are made worse by social and economic factors, including racism, homophobia, stigma, poverty, and other structural barriers, that contribute to increased prevalence or severity and ongoing health disparities.

A Syndemic approach works to address the root causes of these conditions.