SEARCH COVID-19 Response

KEY HIGHLIGHTS

SEARCH COVID-19

Initiated correspondence with Deputy Commissioner, Tharparkar, in which we highlighted the noncompliance of World Health Organization’s COVID-19 related Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) by general population in the district.

Deputy Commissioner responded the letter with in an appreciative way and also asked to join the awareness raising efforts about COVID-19 prevention.

Organized 06 awareness raising sessions (14 more sessions before the end of the June) with more than 400 community members (especially women) in different villages. The main purpose of these sessions were to encourage community members to follow WHO’s SOPs, such as; Use of masks,maintain physical distance, washing hands with soap, use of Dettol or other antiseptic liquids for proper cleanliness and limit their mobility to minimize the spread of virus.

Distributed the personal care and personal hygiene products (Masks, Soaps, Sanitizers and Dettol Liquid) to 400 community members, including 260 women.

Due to such stringent preventive measures, there is not a single COVID-19 case in the project focus area

Besides, in-person awareness session, we also prepared and disseminated the COVID-19 prevention video messages through social media with total engagement of 270,801 and viewed by 64,449 users.

Some of our volunteer were diagnosed with COVID-19 symptoms, so we supported them with essential medication. Now they are recovered, stable and continued their work.

Facilitated 81 poor communities with ration through the help of philanthropists.

Provided facilitation to 300 household to participate in and receive cash assistance of PKR 12,000 per household under Prime Minister’s Ehsas Emergency Cash Transfer Program.

Due to awareness sessions by SEARCH, community members across Tharparkar started following the WHO’s COVID-19 prevention SOPs. These positive news were featured not only by local media, but also by National Media (Express Tribute) and International Media (Gulf News).

Pictures of community members from remotest village of Tharparkar following SOPs went viral on social media, when these were compared with pictures in cities, where SOPs were out rightly ignored.