Biomedical Advances Alone Can’t Eradicate Diseases: Lessons from COVID-19, Syphilis, HIV/AIDS, and Tuberculosis

The Continuous Fight Against Epidemic Diseases

Although the COVID-19 pandemic has shifted from a catastrophic threat to a manageable nuisance for many, it still claims over 2,000 lives monthly and severely impacts vulnerable individuals. As an infectious disease physician and medical historian, I notice striking similarities between COVID-19 and other epidemics like syphilis, AIDS, and tuberculosis.

Syphilis, AIDS, and TB: Enduring Obstacles

Syphilis, a sexually transmitted disease identified in 1495, can result in skin rashes, paralysis, blindness, or even death. The introduction of innovative drugs such as Salvarsan (1909) and penicillin (1943) raised hopes for eradication. However, public health programs fell short due to socioeconomic factors rather than treatment efficacy.

• Stigma surrounding testing and partner tracing
• Poverty pushing women into commercial sex
• Population migration leading to high-risk behaviors
• Lack of women’s authority to negotiate condom use
• Inconsistent government funding

Despite over 8 million new cases annually, society remains largely indifferent to syphilis, particularly affecting racial minorities and low-income populations.

HIV/AIDS, first described in 1981, was once a fatal sexually transmitted disease. The introduction of antiretroviral drugs in 1996 sparked hopes for elimination through public health campaigns. However, these programs are not meeting treatment targets, especially among low-income populations and racial minorities.

Tuberculosis, which weakened nations in the 19th century, spread due to poverty and poor living conditions. New drug regimens in the 1960s promised eradication, but funding, isolation, and adherence issues persisted. Currently, tuberculosis claims the lives of up to 1.6 million people yearly.

COVID-19: The Newest Case Study

The patterns of these epidemics demonstrate that biomedical approaches alone cannot eliminate disease. COVID-19 disproportionately affected low-income individuals and racial minorities, particularly those in front-line jobs. Despite the rapid development of an mRNA vaccine, socioeconomic factors impeded its distribution.

• Wealthy countries monopolizing vaccines
• Allocation difficulties for remote regions
• Vaccine hesitancy due to mistrust and individual freedom concerns
• Reduced mask-wearing and isolation rates

These challenges resulted in preventable surges and additional lives lost.

Medications and Vaccines Aren’t Sufficient

While modern medical science is essential for treating pathogens and disease symptoms, addressing social, economic, and political conditions is equally important to halt disease spread. Public health officials must implement structural solutions to support the most vulnerable.

Powel H Kazanjian is Professor of Infectious Diseases and of History, University of Michigan. This article was first published on The Conversation.