WHY?
As the second wave of COVID 19 hits the Indian cities, less visible ones have started emerging in the rural and remote villages. This time, rural India is also experiencing a rise in numbers, i.e., assumed to take a turn of the catastrophe of unimaginable scale if ignored. Moreover, taking into account the fragile condition of rural health infrastructure.
After analysing the situation at the ground level, we came across the following problems:
- Unavailability of necessary medical equipment.
- Inadequacy in adopting COVID 19 appropriate and sensitive behaviour due to lack of knowledge.
- Myths, fake news, misinformation/disinformation about COVID 19 2.0 and vaccination
- Food insecurity, such as lack of necessary food items and product
WHAT?
Digital Empowerment Foundation, keeping this in view, has again launched an ICT-enabled and community-specific relief programme, “COVID-19 DIGITAL EMERGENCY RELIEF PROGRAMME 2.0”, through virtual community and service facilitation.
10000+ foot soldiers are being trained to work as COVID Soochnapreneurs in their communities who will implement the following activities to fulfill the outcomes:
- Distribution of the prevention necessities by the COVID Soochnapreneurs- Pulse oximeters to Frontline Health Warriors, thermometer, masks, sanitisers, dry ration and essentials (soaps, sanitary pads) to 10 million households
- Dissemination of Information through WhatsApp Groups/messaging- Our COVID soochnapreneurs will reach out to people through messages in the form of audios, videos and info graphics. Also, people will be engaged through announcements via placards and loudspeakers to reinforce the COVID sensitive and appropriate messages among the community
- COVID Soochnapreneurs disseminating verified helpline numbers through WhatsApp and Facebook.
- Helping people to access local aid through COVID Information Vans, in collaboration with State Governments.
WHO?
- General Public
- Elderly
- Differently Abled people
- Pregnant women and lactating mothers
- Frontline Health workers
- Migrant workers/Daily wage earners
POTENTIAL IMPACT
- Reach out to 1000 locations with COVID-19 Virtual Community and Service Facilitation Access for telemedicine consultation and vaccine registration in 135 districts and 24 States
- Reach out to approx. overall 1 million households with provision of COVID prevention necessities (masks, sanitizers, dry ration & other products like sanitary pads, soap etc.
- Provision of 1000 pulse oximeters, PPE kit and thermometer to frontline health workers/Covid Soochnapreneur
- Mitigating rumours, fake news, misinformation /disinformation on COVID-19/ COVID 19 Appropriate Behaviours/Health & Nutrition and vaccination.
- Increase awareness, knowledge & understanding of people on COVID-19 appropriate behaviour, Vaccine hesitancy and eagerness and sensitive behaviour.
