The sudden and devastating losses of human life during the Covid-19 pandemic has taken a toll on the world without prejudice. The Government of India and the medical community have provided timely guidance to India’s citizens, which has significantly curbed the spread of this infection in one of the world’s most populated countries.

Amrita Ayurveda and AmritaCREATE are working jointly, with funding from the Ministry of Tribal Affairs [MoTA] to improve tribals’ livelihood through a holistic approach. The Amrita team interacted with the Health Workers in Tribal villages and received information that many villagers were still unaware of the necessary steps to prevent the transmission of Covid-19. Most were scared of stepping out of their homes, while others were ignorant about this pandemic’s contagious aspects. As a part of their initial training, we held Covid-19 specific training sessions that dealt with stigma, pregnancy, immunization, elderly, children, nutrition, etc.

Timely Reminders and Visits During the Pandemic

To fight the pandemic and spread awareness, each of our Community Health Workers (CHWs) are continuously chanting three main mantras: social distancing, wearing masks, and regularly washing hands with soap or using sanitizer. They have been tirelessly working every day to ensure that their family, friends, and neighbors are safe and healthy. They send daily reports of their house visits through WhatsApp and keep in touch with our project coordinators through calls in case of emergencies.

In 2018, MoTA recognized Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham as a Tribal Center of Excellence (CoE) for their work in tribal communities nationwide.