UN says some media coverage of monkeypox stigmatises Africans, LGBTI people
Skip to main content
T
Wednesday, March 29, 2023
The Daily Star
E-paper Today's News বাংলা
  • Home
  • News
  • Opinion
  • Health
  • Sports
  • Business
  • Entertainment
  • Culture
  • Life & Living
  • Youth
  • Tech & Startup
  • Feature
    • Lifestyle
    • Arts & Entertainment
    • Showbiz
    • Star Health
    • Satireday
    • Shout
    • Toggle
    • Star Literature
    • In Focus
    • Star Youth
    • Shift
    • Daily Star Books
    • Roundtables
    • Star Holiday
    • weekend read
  • More
    • Environment
    • NRB
    • Supplements
    • Law & Our Rights
  • E-paper
  • বাংলা
Search Epaper T
  • Today's News
  • Home
  • News
  • Opinion
  • Health
  • Sports
  • Business
  • Entertainment
  • Culture
  • Life & Living
  • Youth
  • Tech & Startup
  • Feature
    • Lifestyle
    • Arts & Entertainment
    • Showbiz
    • Star Health
    • Satireday
    • Shout
    • Toggle
    • Star Literature
    • In Focus
    • Star Youth
    • Shift
    • Daily Star Books
    • Roundtables
    • Star Holiday
    • weekend read
  • More
    • Environment
    • NRB
    • Supplements
    • Law & Our Rights

  • About Us
  • Contact Us
  • Apps
  • Comment Policy
  • RSS
  • Sitemap
  • Advertisement
  • Newsletter
  • Privacy Policy
  • Conference Hall
  • Archives
Disease

UN says some media coverage of monkeypox stigmatises Africans, LGBTI people

AFP
Mon May 23, 2022 02:59 PM Last update on: Mon May 23, 2022 03:29 PM
Monkeypox Virus
Photo: AP/WHO

The United Nations' Aids agency has called some reporting on the monkeypox virus racist and homophobic, warning of exacerbating stigma and undermining the response to the growing outbreak.

UNAIDS said "a significant proportion" of recent monkeypox cases have been identified among gay, bisexual and other men who have sex with men.

For all latest news, follow The Daily Star's Google News channel.

But transmission was most likely via close physical contact with a monkeypox sufferer and could affect anyone, it added, saying some portrayals of Africans and LGBTI people "reinforce homophobic and racist stereotypes and exacerbate stigma".

Read more

Expect to detect more monkeypox cases, WHO says

As of 21 May, the World Health Organization received reports of 92 laboratory-confirmed monkeypox cases and 28 suspected cases from 12 countries where the disease is not endemic, including several European nations, the US, Australia and Canada.

"Stigma and blame undermine trust and capacity to respond effectively during outbreaks like this one," said the UNAIDS deputy executive director, Matthew Kavanagh.

monkepox virus
Read more

How prepared is Bangladesh to deal with monkeypox?

Mature, oval-shaped monkeypox virions, left, and spherical immature virions, right, obtained from a sample of human skin associated with the 2003 prairie dog outbreak.

What is monkeypox and should you be worried?

"Experience shows that stigmatising rhetoric can quickly disable evidence-based response by stoking cycles of fear, driving people away from health services, impeding efforts to identify cases and encouraging ineffective, punitive measures."

Argentina's health ministry said on Sunday it had detected a suspected case of monkeypox in Buenos Aires, amid growing global alarm over rising cases in Europe and elsewhere of the viral infection more common to west and central Africa.

Israel and Switzerland both said they identified one infected person who had recently travelled abroad. Israel is investigating other suspected cases.

Austria confirmed its first case of the virus on Sunday, while in the US health authorities said they might have found the country's third case and were running tests on a patient in South Florida.

Monkeypox symptoms include fever, muscle aches, swollen lymph nodes, chills, exhaustion and a chickenpox-like rash on the hands and face.

No treatment exists, but the symptoms usually clear up after two to four weeks. The disease is considered endemic in 11 African nations.

Related topic:
UNAIDSUnited Nationsmonkeypox virusMonkeypox
Apple Google
Click to comment

Comments

Comments Policy

Related News

Bangladesh a committed actor in promoting peace: UN

monkeypox outbreak India

Man with no foreign travel history tests positive for monkeypox in Delhi

Portugal, Spain surpass 250 monkeypox cases

UN

UN to create global coronavirus fund, Norway foreign ministry says

Monkeypox: Screening to start at airports, land ports

Monkeypox: Screening to start at airports, land ports

৭ ঘণ্টা আগে|দুর্ঘটনা ও অগ্নিকাণ্ড

সৌদিতে বাস দুর্ঘটনা: ৮ বাংলাদেশি নিহত, পরিচয় শনাক্ত

রিয়াদে বাংলাদেশ দূতাবাসের প্রথম সচিব মোহাম্মদ ফখরুল ইসলাম (প্রেস) এ তথ্য নিশ্চিত করেছেন।

৫১ মিনিট আগে|ফুটবল

মেসির হ্যাটট্রিকে প্রথমার্ধেই কুরাসাওয়ের জালে আর্জেন্টিনার ৫ গোল

The Daily Star
Journalism without fear or favour
  • About Us
  • Contact Us
  • Apps
  • Comment Policy
  • RSS
  • Sitemap
  • Advertisement
  • Newsletter
  • Privacy Policy
  • Conference Hall
  • Archives
© 2023 thedailystar.net | Powered by: RSI LAB
Copyright: Any unauthorized use or reproduction of The Daily Star content for commercial purposes is strictly prohibited and constitutes copyright infringement liable to legal action.
X