In Coimbatore – India, the project next to the rural communities for the awareness and vaccination against Covid-19 has started and in these first weeks has already brought the first results.
The rural communities in India are those still strongly excluded from the vaccination campaign, both for their poverty and for the lack of awareness of the importance of vaccination. The Action for Rural India project of our campaign is addressing these very challenges: intercepting the most vulnerable people and accompanying them so that they can benefit from the Covid-19 vaccine.
In this first phase, seven villages have been visited (Ramachettipalayam, Kuniamuthur, Kasturigarden, Maraimalai Nagar, Sentamil Nagar, Gandhi Nagar, Kovaipudur (Shanti Ashram and ICPH campus)) where information has been collected in order to identify the most difficult situations on which to intervene. In addition, we are proceeding with the development of specific materials in order to sensitize communities to adopt certain behaviors for prevention, first of all the vaccine against Corona virus.
Also thanks to the actions carried out, the demand for vaccinations has grown, especially from people over 60 years old for the precautionary dose, so Shanti Ashram, local organization referent for the project, has started simultaneously the vaccination clinics. This has allowed to immunize so far, and in collaboration with local health authorities, 744 people.
The process of listening, understanding and awareness is still long, but every day the trust built by the operators accompanies an increasing number of people to choose to get vaccinated to protect themselves and their community.
AP Photo/Shanti Ashram & ICPH campus