MSF’s Health Educator distributing soaps to a street- hawker in M-East Ward, Mumbai. © Premananda Hessenkamp
We conduct handwashing demonstrations sessions and meetings throughout the community with people who live in the slums, patients waiting in public and private healthcare centres, private sector doctors and healthcare workers.
We also reinforce the messages about wearing masks, social distancing and other ways COVID-19 can be prevented.
However, it’s hard when five or six people live together in small houses that might only be a few metres wide, but we request that they wear masks and observe social distancing in the lanes and markets. Anyone with symptoms is linked to the nearest testing centre and asked to wear a mask at home and isolate if possible.
Shagufta Sayyed, Health Educator making public announcement on COVID-19 during mass awareness campaign at Industrial pocket in M-East Ward, Mumbai. © Premananda Hessenkamp
Digital health promotion
We’ve been doing health promotion work in the community continuously since June 2020.
When there were fewer cases in December and January, people were more likely to ignore the messaging – but now many more people are wearing masks
We’re also doing digital health promotion reaching thousands of people on Facebook with videos and messaging, especially the younger generation as they are so active social media
Protecting the vulnerable
Another important part of our work is helping protect particularly vulnerable people; patients with drug-resistant TB (tuberculosis), HIV, those with diabetes or hypertension and the elderly.
We’re carrying out an intervention know as “shielding” and we aim to reach more than 5,000 families, providing them with hygiene kits including masks, soaps, hand sanitisers and floor cleaner to help them protect themselves.
We stay in contact with them on a weekly basis by phone, providing regular health information, advice and counselling.
Shagufta Sayyed, Community Health Educator demonstrating Handwashing steps to patients with DRTB at the MSF’s independent clinic in Mumbai, India. © Premananda Hessenkamp
Determination
The team are working really hard. To begin with some staff had concerns, but we’ve done a lot of safety training and we also provide mental health support.
We’re all part of this community and are really motivated to help as much as we can. But, we need more people and more organisations doing health promotion to promote COVID-19 safe behaviour and testing.
