An important step towards disease prevention is the building of robust vaccine awareness and health resilience across the life course. Despite the challenges, consistent efforts to save lives through timely immunization pay rich dividends.
1. Increasing Immunisation Awareness and Reducing Vaccine Hesitancy:
Launch of targeted vaccine awareness campaigns (in schools/colleges, community centres, via social media and local leaders) to explain the safety, benefits, and importance of vaccination.
Myths vs Facts communication module tailored to local beliefs.
Train community health workers, particularly paramedical staff of primary and community health centres, as well as volunteers to engage in respectful, two-way communication to address vaccine-hesitancy and build trust.
2. Increasing Reach of HPV Vaccination through Cancer Prevention Campaigns and Vaccination for Preventable Diseases:
Conducting cancer awareness and screening camps (including cervical cancer) for disseminating information on HPV vaccination and preventive healthcare.
Providing a foundation to explicitly promote HPV vaccination.
Our research in Delhi-NCR highlights the systemic gaps (screening, diagnosis, prevention and treatment) in cervical cancer diagnosis and management.
Supporting introduction of mass HPV vaccination.
Advocacy for inclusion of HPV vaccination in regional health programs; partnering with public health agencies to facilitate vaccine access.
Broadening to other life-course vaccines such as: typhoid, pneumonia, meningitis, hepatitis A & B, influenza, tetanus, etc., including vaccination for elderly with community education and catch-up drives.
Monitoring and reporting coverage data over time to evaluate impact.
3. Pandemic Awareness, Vaccination and Strengthening Good Hygiene Practices:
Various public programmes and campaigns organised by WHT are focused on health and hygiene for preparedness towards a healthier and safe future. Promotion of good hygiene practices (hand hygiene, respiratory etiquette, sanitation) as integral to disease prevention along with pandemic vaccines awareness.
Our institutional strength in health, science communication, and rural development positions us well to extend work in this domain.
Creation of IEC content and conducting community sessions on vaccine rollout challenges, misinformation, and system resilience.
Collaboration with schools, colleges, local bodies to integrate hygiene + vaccination.
Develop protocols or toolkits for community-level pandemic readiness, such as early messaging frameworks, local vaccination campaigns, and surveillance outreach.
