Stakeholders and families have continued to lament the neglect and stigmatization of cleft patients. They lamented that amid stigma, discrimination, and social inequalities, they are made to endure psychological problems, like lowered self-esteem and difficulties in social interaction.

A cluster of monkeypox cases have been detected among men who have sex with men, but the disease can spread among any group of people in close contact, say WHO officials.

In Africa, where many countries outlaw homosexuality, LGBT people live in fear of attacks and imprisonment.

This year's World AIDS Day puts the spotlight on ongoing inequalities in the fight against HIV, the virus that impacts some 38 million people worldwide. Dr. Alexandra Calmy, the head of the HIV/AIDS Unit of Geneva University Hospitals, says the inequalities surrounding HIV/AIDS are much like those witnessed during the Covid-19 pandemic, with access to treatments and prevention spread unevenly across the world's population. Forty years after the first case of HIV was detected, stigmatisation also remains a major obstacle to eradicating the virus. Dr. Calmy's message for anyone worried they might have HIV is "don't be afraid of yourself".

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.

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.

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.

A new HIV treatment, injected every eight weeks, is supposed to reduce stigma and discrimination in Uganda. The drug could be a breakthrough for all those infected — if African leaders are ready to invest.

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.