Stigma and infectious diseases in Africa: examining impact and strategies for reduction.

Stigma poses a significant barrier to accessing care, managing, and preventing infectious diseases in Africa. The authors conducted an extensive search across Scopus, PubMed, ScienceDirect, and Google Scholar to identify relevant English-language articles, with no constraints on publication dates, using the keywords "Stigma," and "Infectious Disease," in conjunction with "Africa." This article explores the multifaceted nature of stigma associated with infectious diseases, highlighting its impact on healthcare access and public health outcomes. It delves into the current situation of infectious disease-related stigma in Africa, emphasizing the various diseases and contexts affected. The article identifies drivers of stigma, including negative attitudes, misinformation, and institutional practices, and discusses their role in perpetuating discrimination. Importantly, it provides recommendations for addressing infectious disease stigma in Africa through comprehensive strategies encompassing health education, contact-based interventions, professionalized counselling and peer support services, and community engagement. The article calls for collaboration among governments, healthcare organizations, NGOs, and community leaders to implement holistic strategies that prioritize inclusivity and stigma reduction. Ultimately, it underscores the urgent need to combat stigma to improve healthcare access and outcomes for individuals affected by infectious diseases in Africa.

UAE efforts in promoting COVID-19 vaccination and building vaccine confidence.

The United Arab Emirates (UAE) is leading globally in many indicators for tackling the COVID-19 pandemic. This ranges from taking adequate preventive measures to the free vaccination drive and viable public health strategy. As of 18 August 2021, the UAE has significantly reduced the number of cases and successfully administered 17,454,250 doses. Furthermore, efforts and plans are underway to provide the third dose to high-risk people three months after completing the second dose and six months later to others. The UAE is considered one of the leaders globally for vaccinating "medically eligible" residents against COVID-19, with over 70% of the population currently fully vaccinated in the drive towards achieving herd immunity. The UAE's vaccination program is on track, covering a significant part of the population. The massive efforts of the National Vaccination Program's roll-out made by the UAE government and the various health authorities and stakeholders were vital for the general public's active participation in its success.

The fight against the COVID-19 pandemic: Vaccination challenges in Sudan.

The first COVID-19 case in Sudan was announced on March 13th, 2020. 1835 deaths were recorded as of February 7th, 2021. 800,000 doses of the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine were allocated to Sudan through COVAX in March 2021. However, multiple challenges exist in vaccinating the Sudanese population, ranging from an inadequate cold chain system to low acceptance rates of COVID-19 vaccination among the Sudanese population. Economic crises, high inflation rates and long-standing economic sanctions have also negatively impacted the healthcare system in Sudan as a result of deprivation of access to research and development funding.