The cost of stigma in Corona care

In the treatment of any communicable disease, stigma and discrimination are indelibly interlinked with access to healthcare. In the current Coronavirus outbreak in India, many incidents of shaming and suspicion have emerged. Branding of the quarantined via labels and marks has not helped matters. Terms like 'social' distancing instead of 'physical' distancing is reinforcing regressive caste practices. In such a scenario, how do we faciliate the vulnerable from smoothly accessing healthcare and services?

To break this down, Dr. Aiswarya speaks to Magdalene Jeyarathnam, the founder of East West Centre for Counselling and Training as well as Indian Institute of Psychodrama Therapy. Both of them draw on their professional experience with fighting TB and HIV to reinforce how addressing disease-related stigma is crucial to containing any pandemic.