We must now combat corona social stigma

Stigma is a Greek word that originally referred to a type of marking or tattoo that was cut or burned into the skin of criminals, slaves or traitors in order to visibly identify them as blemished or morally polluted persons.

These individuals were to be avoided, particularly in public places. The purpose of stigmatisation then was to make the victim stand out physically in such a way as to be seen from a distance.

There are different forms of social stigmas. The most common have to do with culture, gender, race, illness and disease. Those who have been stigmatised usually feel different and devalued.

Regarding the history of stigma and disease, leprosy most readily comes to mind, as in virtually all societies, lepers were stigmatised.

In ancient Palestine and in Europe, during the Middle Ages, lepers were forced to carry a bell to warn people of their proximity, and they even walked on a particular side of the road. Similar attitudes and treatment of lepers were common in Africa as well.

In more recent times, people living with HIV have been subjected to stigma, and to its socially and psychologically devastating effects such as discrimination and profiling. It took a lot of advocacy and education to stem the stigmatisation of HIV positive people.

Today, the stigmatisation of people with Covid-19 has become disturbingly common. According to the Health Digest, stigmatisaton and fear of quarantine are hindering Kenya’s fight against the virus.

Many Kenyans who have recovered from Covid-19 are subjected to discrimination. On April 28, during the daily news briefing on Covid-19, Chief Administrative Secretary in the Ministry of Health Mercy Mwangangi expressed frustration with the trend.

“We are disturbed that reintegration has not been easy for these people,” she said. 

For fear of stigma associated with being quarantined, many Kenyans avoid or hesitate to be tested. Once people get to know that one has been quarantined, the most likely assumption is that they have Covid-19 and therefore must be avoided. Worse still is when one has been hospitalised.

Cases have been reported about the way communities relate to their neighbours who return after hospitalisation. The Health ministry has shared cases such as the one of a recovered male patient who “painfully narrated his ordeal on how he was subjected to shame upon recovery by members of his community”. There is also the case of a woman in Nakuru, whose social rejection by even her family members made her contemplate suicide.

Social stigma associated with a disease usually arises from lack of awareness, lack of education and lack of correct perceptions about the nature and implications of the disease in question.

A novel disease such as Covid-19 is the subject of conspiracy theories and disinformation to the extent that the WHO Director-General Tedros Ghebreyesus has called it an “infodemic”. In the age of social media, self-appointed pundits are busy peddling information on Covid-19 that is forwarded across the globe, and wrongly consumed by many as gospel truth.

While information might at face value appear innocent, it can nevertheless be devastating when it becomes a basis for stigmatisation. It takes very long for a stigmatised person to overcome memories of hurt, rejection, humiliation and indignation. This is because the hurt suffered hits at the very core of the being of the victim. It affects their identity and self-image, even leading to self-rejection and self-hate. And when stigma is internalised, the victim takes in the negative ideas and stereotypes and starts to apply them to themselves.

The greatness of a cohesive society, such as Kenya wishes to become, is judged by the way it treats the most vulnerable of its citizens – including those stigmatised over Covid-19.

There are at least three ways of intervening to alleviate the situation. First is awareness-building for the general public, which should be carried out in a concerted manner under the leadership and coordination of the Ministry of Health.

Second is to prepare communities and families for the reintegration of recovered Covid-19 patients. Community leaders, including Nyumba Kumi, religious leaders and community-based organisations, are best placed to do that. They may also constitute a community of support and accompany the recovered patients as well as individuals returning from quarantine.

Third, is the provision of psychological support to the victims of social stigma. This is the “soft” side of the war on Covid-19. For us to win the war, all citizens must contribute. Those harmed during the process need to be treated, and then to return so as to continue the fight once they are whole again.

Rev Kobia is the Chairman of NCIC

Related Topics

Covid-19 stigma