Marvia Malik made headlines last month when she made her debut on a private Pakistani TV channel and became the conservative country's first transgender news anchor.

Congolese activists host the country's first fashion show for the disabled to promote acceptance and fight the stigma that often surrounds disability.

Epilepsy is diverse and complex. Commonly those affected are misdiagnosed. After his first seizure, Taurai Kadzviti’s parents thought he was mentally ill and admitted him to a psychiatric ward. The small boy was terrified.

HIV positive women in Ethiopia are often shut out from society, but some have found solace in handicrafts.

1.9m Nigerians in need of HIV treatment says NACA

Serena Williams' husband Alexis Ohanian wants to end the stigma around paternity leave, as he believes it's important for men to take time off to be with their newborn children.

Despite recent progress, the HIV pandemic is far from over, especially in Africa. DW correspondent Adrian Kriesch reports from South Africa where one in five people is infected with HIV. But there is hope is on the horizon.

APIN Public Health initiatives and the Ondo state government are expanding access to HIV and AIDS services.

In a Shanghai basement gym, amateur weightlifters strain under two loads: the steel bars and plates that they lift, and a stigma rooted in the Chinese belief that the sport leaves its practitioners stunted and fat.

African children are neglected when it comes to HIV treatment. Without any intervention, many will die before their second birthday, according to a UN report.

According to the latest figures, obesity levels are on the rise, especially among France's youngsters. They're up by at least 75 percent, with 34 percent of 2 to 7-year-olds currently considered overweight or obese. But what actually qualifies as childhood obesity, what stigma does it carry and how does it affect children and their health? We speak to Professor Patrick Tounian, an advisor to the Anti-Obesity League.

Kenya's constitution eased access to abortions in 2010 but the overwhelming stigma surrounding the procedure means that many women resort to traditional practices or backstreet clinics that put their life in jeopardy. Every week, 23 women die from botched abortions, according to a 2012 study by Kenya's health ministry. Campaigners say the real number is even higher.