In October 2020, IHRN Executive Director Rebecca Everly spoke with Dr. Indira Nath, immunologist and Former Founder Head of the Department of Biotechnology at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), about the parallels between the historic stigma surrounding leprosy and stigma and discrimination in connection with COVID-19. Dr. Nath is a Fellow of the three National Science Academies in India, the National Academy of Medical Sciences in India, the Royal College of Pathology in the UK, and the World Academy of Sciences.
This guide, produced by UNICEF, the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, and the World Health Organization, provides information for governments, media, and local organizations on ways of combating social stigma during COVID-19.
E. Tendayi Achiume, UN Special Rapporteur on racism, has called upon States to ensure that their response to the pandemic does not contribute to xenophobia and racial discrimination and has emphasized that States must eradicate xenophobia throughout all State policy and messaging.