UN denounces ‘racist’ and ‘homophobic’ coverage of monkeypox
Al JazeeraUNAIDS warns some reporting and commentary on the virus has used stigmatising language that could harm public health. The Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS has warned that stigmatising language used in the coverage on the monkeypox virus could jeopardise public health, citing some portrayals of Africans and LGBTI people that “reinforce homophobic and racist stereotypes and exacerbate stigma”. But transmission is 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”. “Stigma and blame undermine trust and capacity to respond effectively during outbreaks like this one,” UNAIDS deputy executive director Matthew Kavanagh said. “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.” UNAIDS warns that stigmatizing language on #Monkeypox jeopardises public health.