Promoting COVID-19 appropriate behaviour : synthesis document

When the second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic swept across India, preventing infection became very important. Through a better understanding of how the disease spread it became clear that the preventive measures promoted in the early stages of the pandemic in 2020 needed to be expanded. Collectively called COVID-19 Appropriate Behaviours (CAB), these measures offer protection from COVID-19.

In May 2021, WaterAid India, UNICEF, IRC, WHO, the SuSanA India Chapter and the India Sanitation Coalition organised an e-discussion and webinar to promote CABs. The aim of the e-discussion was to find out how civil society organizations, self-help group (SHGs), youth groups and local government institutions had been implementing CABs and what more support they needed. Lessons were drawn from case studies from several states including Uttar Pradesh, Jharkhand, Kerala, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Rajasthan, Bihar, and Odisha. The webinar's goal was to activate a network of CSOs to share knowledge and endorse a CAB Call to Action (full text included as an annex). The synthesis ends with a set of recommendations.