The Minister of Health in Nigeria, Dr Osagie Ehanire, has warned against social stigmatization and discrimination of patients and survivors of COVID-19 in the country.
According to him, stigmatizing patients and survivors can prove to be a discouraging factor for persons willing to access testing and treatment, as this may result in labelling and discrimination.
He said:
“The COVID-19 outbreak has provoked social stigma and discrimination against anyone thought to have been in contact with the virus as well as people of certain backgrounds.
”This negative association means those with the disease, their caregivers, family, friends and communities, are labelled, stereotyped, discriminated against, and treated poorly because of a disease.
READ ALSO: LGA Councillor Declared Wanted After Allegedly Stealing 30 Bags Of Grains Meant For His Constituency
“Unfortunately, stigma can prompt social isolation of persons or groups and drives people to hide the illness, prevents them from seeking health care immediately, and discourages them from adopting healthy behaviours.
”This could cause a situation where the virus is more likely to spread and increase the difficulty of controlling the COVID-19 outbreak. We must not stigmatise persons who have recovered from COVID-19.
READ ALSO: BREAKING: Lagos Doctor Dies Of Coronavirus After Atempting To Treat Patient Privately