![]() In many low-income areas, SEWA’s community health workers were, therefore, the first line of defence to combat the pandemic. The union, with a membership of two million informal workers, has the reach, network and expertise to raise health awareness and carry out vaccine advocacy activities in more than 18 states across the country. SEWA has over 15 years of experience in providing comprehensive primary health care to informal workers with a multi-pronged approach that focuses on health information and awareness, referrals, livelihoods and social security, including healthcare, childcare, insurance, pension and housing. Along with strong messaging from the government, their credibility was an important factor in ensuring that people accessed vaccine services. ![]() These are women who have cultivated strong, trusting relationships with their communities over the years. The Self-Employed Women’s Association (SEWA), India’s largest union of informal women workers, was at the forefront of the COVID-19 response from the beginning of the pandemic. Women’s groups and cooperatives, drawing from decades of community-based experience, were uniquely positioned to deliver health information. The government has acknowledged the importance of over 92,000 registered CSOs for their contribution to the COVID-19 response. They also led community mobilisation and awareness campaigns to promote preventative measures such as vaccinations, social distancing and mask-wearing. Due to limited state healthcare capacity and infrastructure, these organisations played a pivotal role in delivering necessities such as rations and health supplies to the most vulnerable and hard-to-reach citizens. ![]() ![]() India’s civil society organisations (CSOs) emerged as first responders during the pandemic. ![]()
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