W e are all in the midst of a great war. This war is not against any particular country or community . It is a war against the global pandemic. The only weapon which can defeat this pandemic is no other than the dose of vaccine . In India , the vaccination process to combat the spread of coronavirus has increased many folds.

As per recent updates, the Government of India has made vaccination free of cost for every individual in government hospitals. The vaccination process has been simplified with the help of ‘CoWin’ Mobile app and many hospitals are even hosting walk-ins for getting the few valuable drops of vaccine.

However, vaccine hesitancy is one of the major issues plaguing our country at this juncture. From carrying myths about the effectiveness of the doses to believing in rumours of vaccination-related deaths, the reasons for vaccine hesitancy are plenty.

This hesitancy increases exponentially as we travel deep into the interiors of our country.

In tribal parts of our country , where there is scarcity of information, the challenge to spread awareness on vaccination increases many folds. It is here that DHAN Foundation steps in and its experience in working with rural communities comes to the front.

For the past many months , our federations across the tribal belts of our country have worked relentlessly to create awareness on vaccination.

One of the major steps adopted to spread vaccine awareness is through Virtual Wellness Centers. As a part of the virtual wellness centers, the community could speak with professional doctors and resolve doubts on vaccination.

Also , field visits were made by our associates in tribal parts of Ratlam and Dhar district of Madhya Pradesh, Ranchi & Latehar district of Jharkhand to visit the homes and spread awareness on the vaccine process. Team has also provided orientation to Fathepur and Tankuppa of Gaya Region in Bihar state.

In places like Jharkhand, virtual consultation was organized where community members could understand the safety of the vaccination process.

The process for spreading awareness had its own challenges. At many places ,our phone calls were terminated due to superstitious beliefs of some of the villagers. Some even close their doors when our field staff try to speak about the vaccine process.

However , with true spirit our federations in tribal regions are doing their best to burst the myth around vaccination. Through our vaccination drive, awareness has been given in the last one month for around 62400 people and out of that 7580 doses have been ensured by us.