Addressing health inequalities in times of COVID-19

Minorities and indigenous peoples between deeply rooted and new, emerging forms of discrimination

Abstract

In numerous countries, the spread of the COVID-19 epidemic has affected ethnic, racial and religious minorities most severely, along with indigenous peoples. On one hand, the pandemic is laying bare the presence of deeply rooted patterns of discrimination in access to health; on the other hand, for some states and non- state actors, it also represents a useful opportunity to persecute particular ethnic and religious minorities through additional forms of discrimination, labelling, stigmatization and scapegoating.