Agnes, a Nigerian mother, has suffered from a skin disease since her youth. Because of her ailment, she itches to the point of scarring, and those around her taunt and scorn her. Though she suffers from the itching, the rejection hurts more.
In her Nigerian community, Agnes' disease carries with it a stigma -- or an element of disgrace. Stigmas associated with diseases like hers have created impediments to promoting health all over the world.
Mitchell Weiss, head of the Department of Public Health and Epidemiology at the Swiss Tropical Institute, outlined stigmas' effects on both patients like Agnes and the diseases themselves, and gave hope for solutions in a lecture yesterday.
According to his research, stigmas not only add an entirely new dimension to suffering, but also delay patients from seeking help and lead them to stop their treatments early.
People with HIV, tuberculosis and schizophrenia do not want to make it public that they have these diseases because they have seen the general disapproval and rejection of others with the same conditions, Weiss said.
He also outlined how the stigmas affect not only the treatment of the person, but of the disease itself. For example, the strong stigmas attached to HIV and AIDS delayed funding for research on these viruses.
But according to Weiss, there is hope.
In the Sundarban region of West Bengal, India, the Swiss Tropical Institute found that social influences -- especially stigmas -- shaped people's perception of mental illness in the region.
The researchers then used these findings to re-educate the community about the illness and the proper ways of dealing with it.
Weiss said that through education, health providers can destigmatize disease.
Weiss spoke as part of the Provost Seminar Series on Health Disparities, which he called "a wonderful opportunity for people to pursue a variety of cross-cultural interests."
Those who attended yesterday's lecture in Logan Hall said they came for a variety of reasons.
Megan Dougherty, an Engineering School employee, said that the lecture provided a refreshing perspective.
"Eliminating stigmas should really be a main focus of social marketing," she said.
Social marketing, similar to the public education that researchers pursued in West Bengal, is used to reshape perceptions.
Debra Williams, a doctoral student in the Graduate School of Education, said Weiss' focus on cultural stigmas gave her ideas about subjects related to her doctoral thesis.
"I'm pursuing topics concerning the level of promotion of health and health practices in higher education, and am intrigued as to how much stigmas affect the level of this promotion."
