Stigmatization not needed in COVID-19 war

NEWS COMMENTARY ON COVID-19 BY DZANDU STANLEY ABORA, A SOUND ENGINEER AT GBC.

The Coronavirus has affected millions of people and killed thousands across the globe. Since its detection in Wuhan city of China, little did the world know that the virus was going to spread to the most powerful countries with sophisticated health systems like America, UK, Spain and Russia. Today these countries with the best of health systems are being ravaged by the virus with thousands of people dying daily. The situation in Africa is not different.  The World Health Organization has warned that the toll on Africa may be very high since the health sector on the continent is ill equipped to contain the situation, if the virus is allowed to further spread.

As the battle of the pandemic continues there are accusations and counter responses among nations about the origin of the virus and that it was a labolatory created weapon geared at destroying well stabilized economies. This banter mainly between the US and China is yet to be resolved. The economy in Africa is already weak and recent attempt to promote growth is being undermined by the pandemic.

Many countries on the continent have chosen the economy over health in the management of the virus hence the easing of early restrictions to allow economic activities to bounce back. The rhetorical question is, what is going be the faith of Africa after all these trial moments of the pandemic? Will Africa regain its moderate economic gains and make progress or it will be paralyzed since there are no signs of ending the pandemic soon? Time will certainly tell.

One nagging issue that is painfully associated with the pandemic is stigmatization. This phenomenon needs to be addressed frontally to ensure that it does not become the main killer. It is important for us to ensure that the strong bond of unity and hospitality among families and friends are maintained when people around us get infected.

It is against this background that there is the need for a comprehensive education against stigmatization. In the context of health is the negative association between a person or group of people who share certain characteristics and a specific disease. Social stigma in an outbreak, is a practice where people are labeled, stereotyped, discriminated against, treated separately, and/or experience loss of status because of a link with a disease. Such treatment can negatively affect those with the disease, as well as their caregivers, family, friends and communities.

The current COVID-19 outbreak has provoked social stigma and discriminatory behaviours against people of certain ethnic backgrounds as well as anyone perceived to have been in contact with the virus.

It has been observed in a social stigma guide produced by UNICEF, the World Health Organization (WHO) and the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies that the level of stigma associated with COVID-19 is based on three main factors: It is a disease that is new and for which there are still many unknowns; We are often afraid of the unknown and it is easy to associate that fear with others.

According to the WHO, UNICEF and their partners it is understandable that there is confusion, anxiety, and fear among the public. Unfortunately, these factors are also fueling harmful stereotypes. They noted that Stigma can undermine social cohesion and prompt possible social isolation of groups, which might contribute to a situation where the virus is likely to spread the more. This can result in more severe health problems and difficulties controlling a disease outbreak.

Stigma can drive people to hide the illness to avoid discrimination, prevent people from seeking health care immediately and discourage them from adopting healthy behaviours. People should be educated to understand the essence of demonstrating love and care to persons who have recovered from the infection. The government and all stakeholders must continue to ensure that citizens adhere to the preventive measures to help halt the spread of the virus.

BY DZANDU STANLEY ABORA, A SOUND ENGINEER, GHANA BROADCASTING CORPORATION, ACCRA