The Ministry of AYUSH has launched the Jan Andolan Campaign on COVID-19. This Andolan is regarding “Public Health Response to COVID-19: Campaign for COVID-Appropriate Behaviour” which has been launched by the Hon. Prime Minister through a tweet on the 8^th of this month to encourage people across the country to adopt and encourage other to adopt COVID appropriate behaviours in view of the upcoming festivals and winter season. The Ayush professionals work closely with the public, and hence the sector is gearing up to add momentum to this campaign.   

            The Jan Andolan Campaign will be driven by people’s participation. In the Ayush Sector, the practitioners and other Ayush professionals will act as catalysts for dissemination of relevant information throughout the country.  The campaign emphasizes on “Unlock with Precautions”.  The three key messages which are being highlighted across the sector are - “Wear Mask, Follow Physical Distancing, and Maintain Hand Hygiene”.

            To make the campaign a success, partnerships are being formed among the Ministry’s attached and subordinate offices and PSUs with private sector industry and academia.  Ayush Directorates in States and UTs with Ayush dispensaries supported by the National Ayush Mission of Ministry of AYUSH under them, the States and UTs Ayush Directorates are important stakeholders, and will be a major network for this Ministry for spreading the instant behavioural change communication.  The Health Secretaries of States/UTs will be mounting campaigns aligned with these messages.

The network of about 750 Ayush Medical Colleges with their communities of students and teachers will play an important role in this effort.  The Chairmen of the Board of CCIM and CCH (the education regulation bodies) respectively have been requested to activate these colleges.

Hospitals and Research Councils of the National Institutes and Research  Councils, which are  about 150 in number are directly linked to Ministry of AYUSH, will serve as hubs for communication and other related preventive activities.  The Heads of these institutions have taken the national responsibility of disseminating information about Covid-appropriate behaviour. PSUs (Manufacturers of Ayush medicines) – IMPCL products like Ayush Immunity Kit produced by IMPCL will be integrated with the campaign. 

The Ministry is also promoting the COVID-19 Pledge among all employees of the Government, attached/subordinate offices and grass root organisations, and also among the public.  Nearly 2000 people took the pledge under the auspices of the Ministry and this activity will continue in the coming days.

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MV/SK