There is no vaccine for stigma: A Rapid Evidence Review of stigma mitigation strategies during past outbreaks among Indigenous populations living in rural, remote and northern regions of Canada and what can be learned for COVID-19
January 2021
Stigma around COVID-19 has the potential to negatively affect health outcomes for Indigenous Peoples living in rural, remote and northern regions of Canada. Guided by the National Collaborating Centre of Methods and Tools Rapid Review Guide (Dobbins, 2017), this rapid review seeks to answer the question, “What are the best practices for preventing and mitigating COVID-19 related stigma in Indigenous rural, remote and northern communities within Canada?” A literature review was conducted in May 2020 and repeated in October 2020 to identify stigma mitigation strategies that have been used by Indigenous communities during previous epidemics, pandemics, or infectious disease outbreaks and factors that need to be considered when undertaking such strategies within rural, remote, northern and Indigenous communities.
Information from 25 relevant papers was synthesized into six broad themes: 1) pathogen factors; 2) fear, anxiety and misinformation; 3) stigmatized identifies; 4) structural and systemic drivers; 5) culture and community; and 6) public health and media. The paper concludes by making recommendations for future strategies that centre on Indigenous ways of knowing and experiences of stigma.
Read the report (PDF) | Read the NCCIH Media Release - January 14, 2021