01616nas a2200181   4500000000100000008004100001653001800042653001000060653001300070100001300083700001300096700001200109700001300121700001300134245008100147856013200228520107400360       2020                            d10aSocial Stigma10aLMICs10aCovid-191 aRoelen K1 aAckley C1 aBoyce P1 aFarina N1 aRipoll S00aCOVID-19 in LMICs: The Need to Place Stigma Front and Centre to its Response  uhttps://opendocs.ids.ac.uk/opendocs/bitstream/handle/20.500.12413/15690/EJDR_Covid-19_and_stigma_LMICs_30-jun-20.pdf?sequence=43 aCOVID-19 has caused unprecedented health, economic and societal impacts across the world, including many low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). The pandemic and its fallout have laid bare deep-seated social and economic inequalities with marginalised groups being at greater risk of infection and being disproportionately affected by containment measures and their socioeconomic consequences. Stigma is a central element to such
inequalities but remains largely overlooked in the debate on the response to COVID-19, including in LMICs. Yet we know from experiences with other infectious diseases such as HIV/AIDS and Ebola that disease-related stigma is detrimental to halting and controlling pandemics and achieving equitable development. Emerging evidence suggests that stigma associated with COVID-19 is already taking hold. This paper assesses potential driving
factors of COVID-19-related stigma, and how this intersects with existing stigma fault lines and explores mechanisms through which COVID-19-related stigma may be counteracted, with a focus on LMICs.