Doctors Without Borders Health Promotion Team in Mumbai using Auto-Rikshaw (tuktuk) to generate COVID-19 awareness among the most vulnerable population living in informal settlement pockets of M-East Ward. © Premananda Hessenkamp
Auto-Rikshaw (tuktuk) used in an awareness campaign in slum rehabilitation colony in MEast Ward, Mumbai © Premananda Hessenkamp
It’s hard when 5 or 6 people live together in small houses that might only be 10ft x 10ft 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 center and requested to wear a mask at home and isolate if possible.Santosh Choure, Health Promotion Manager
We’ve been doing health promotion work in the community continuously since June 2020. When there were less 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 who is active on social media.
Another important part of our work is helping protect particularly vulnerable people; drug-resistant TB and HIV patients, those with diabetes or hypertension or the elderly. This intervention is called shielding and we aim to reach out to more than 5,000 families, providing them with hygiene kits including masks, soaps, and-sanitisers and floor cleaner to help them protect themselves as well as staying in contact with them on weekly basis by phone providing regular health promotion information, advice and counselling.Santosh Choure, Health Promotion Manager
The team are working really hard. To begin with some 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 actors doing health promotion to promote covid-19 appropriate behaviour and testing.
