DIMAPUR, MARCH 24 (MExN): The Youth’s Forum for Protection of Human Rights (YFPHR) today issued am appeal to stop stigma and discrimination against COVID-19 positive people.
A press release from the YFPHR expressed shock at “to observe the comments and posts in social media which went viral since the morning with regard to the result of the COVID-19 positive of a 23 year old girl who is now under strict medical attention at JNIMS, Imphal.”
“We have a deep fear that if such stigma and discrimination and victimization continue, than possible +Positive friends may not turn up to report due to the fear of facing the same,” it stated.
The forum recalled that in the 1980’s and 1990’s during the peak hour of outbreak of HIV/AIDS in Manipur, there was large scale stigma and discrimination to the victims of HIV/AIDS as result of the same the frustrated victims intentionally did spread the disease through intentional sharing of syringe, or passing the same from male to female and female to male. On the other hand due to increase in stigma and discrimination the victim often losses mental stability and try to commit unwanted activities such as suicide and other anti social activities.
“In order to avoid the same, it is high time to provide proper psychosocial support and counselling to avoid depression for those +Positive friends though they are kept in isolation. It is important to encourage the +Positive friends in such a way that they did what they could so as the virus is not spread to the people,” it added.
The forum urged people to stop stigmatizing and discriminating the COVID-19 positive people. It further appealed the people to stay safe at home “to save our future which is under threat due to this deadly COVID-19.”
