Strategic communications played an important role in containing the Covid pandemic

Lakshmana Venkat Kuchi *

India was amongst the first to be infected with the deadly Coronavirus and also the earliest to find a way out – through vaccination even as few countries in the developed West are still grappling with increasing cases. And more ominously, China has again enforced mega lockdowns in a few areas spreading fear across the world again.

The contrast cannot be starker – In Maharashtra, among the worst affected states in India, all restrictions relating to Covid Appropriate Behaviour have been withdrawn and even Delhi is reportedly doing away with the mandatory wearing of masks.

India, by and large, is returning to normal with offices opening up, partially at present in hybrid mode, but the mood is upbeat. The industry is purring into action and supply chains have been restored, and more importantly, green shoots are appearing.

Now, after salutations to the scientific community, the health service professionals, the administrators, and most importantly, the front-line workers who fought unitedly against the invisible enemy under the guidance of an astute political leadership, let us closely look at how India managed to succeed where many Nations floundered, and continue to struggle, even today.

I would like to borrow the words of Union Health Minister Dr Mansukh L Mandaviya, who so aptly summed up the country’s fight against the pandemic as “India’s Covid management is a story of leadership, innovation, dedication, partnership, sharing and leveraging technology.”

India has also effectively handled the Omicron wave that caused numerous deaths in other countries because of our superior Covid management model and the massively successful mega vaccination drive, one that continues to awe the world, given the size, scale, and magnitude of the task spread over the geographical diversity and expanse of the Indian sub-continent–in fact, a logistics nightmare that India made light of.

The world still is in a state of disbelief that a country like India could carry out a successful Vaccination drive to administer over 184.31 crore doses and counting. India also crossed the 100 crore doses mark in just 279 days, making it the fastest vaccination drive anywhere in the world.

These achievements assume a greater significance given the population density of 464 as compared to 36 in the US and 282 in the UK, low per capita public health expenditure, and smaller percentage of GDP spent on public health, India saw fewer Covid deaths and fewer number of cases.

What is significant is that India reported a consistent decrease in the number of cases and fatalities and today, even the case numbers are negligible and steadily coming down across India, prompting the Central Government to advise States to relax the strict Covid norms in place.

This brings us to the fact that India presented an exemplary model of Covid management, for the world to follow – with the Central Government and the State Governments, and all the stakeholders working unitedly in mission mode.

But even all the best-laid plans can go haywire, and the biggest challenge India faced during the pandemic was more dangerous than the pandemic–fake news, deliberate and misleading information that spread vaccine hesitancy that threatened to derail the well-thought-out and strategized public health response and Vaccination drive to cover as many people as quickly as possible.

Because vaccination and full vaccination of the entire population was the only solution and the only saviour from the deadly pandemic. But fake news and propaganda against vaccines injected an equally “dangerous vaccine hesitancy” among the people, to fight which an elaborate and efficient media communications strategy was put in place–with players from the Government, the private sector, the multilateral bodies, NGOs, and people from the scientific community played their respective parts.

Several studies had made ill-informed assumptions and predictions about pandemic effects in India, that spread fear, chaos, and seemingly irrational sentiments against the vaccines, developed in India. But the Government’s decisive and strategic actions were taken at crucial moments, combining global best practices and its own ‘Whole of Government’ and ‘Whole of Society’ approach to contain the spread of the deadly virus, and the virus of fake news and propaganda helped contain the situation.

In this, the various stakeholders, NGOs, CSOs, industry, development partners -- WHO, UNICEF, UNDP, USAID, ADB, and BMGF -- and media joined forces to create the right and proper awareness among the people that saved the day.

Strategic communication, that is fighting the fake news and false propaganda and falsehoods spread by mischievous elements became a critical component in the overall fight against the pandemic.

For example, in Rajasthan’s nomadic tribes, there was a strong vaccine hesitancy to fight. The UNICEF took the help of local folk artists and musicians, and local influencers to speak to the villagers, and get them assembled in one place for getting vaccinated. Engagement with tribal communities who had an inherent fear of needles and vaccines was addressed through local influencers.

Innovative communication methods to ensure that everyday citizens follow Covid Appropriate Behaviours including masks, social distancing and handwashing have played a key role.

In fact, what was done was consistent communication on scientific issues with the masses, in clear, simple language through very credible scientific voices. On this, the scientists and policymakers worked in a collaboration that led to greater acceptance of scientific behaviour change, even in such things as wearing masks and maintaining social distancing as a precaution.

And of course, the need for vaccination. At present, there is a little hesitancy among parents to get their children vaccinated, but efforts are on to educate the parents. But now, our recent success is making the task of the vaccinators and frontline health workers has become that much easier compared to the time when the pandemic broke out.

The long and short of it is that India managed to mount a very successful vaccination drive, that saved the country from the pandemic, that is petering out at present. Yes, by no means has Covid been eliminated, as it will continue to live amidst us, but we have become wiser and able to tackle it more effectively now than ever before. Sure, there are predictions of another wave, sometime in June/July, but we are a more confident country today to face any challenge.

India has made a mark in the world in terms of vaccine production and vaccine delivery and now a great journey lies ahead for India to make new discoveries in the world for other diseases.

Yasumasa Kimura, UNICEF India representative, AI, is not alone in lauding India’s successful fight against the pandemic. His words, “This is the first time in our history vaccines were developed on a war–footing to reach billions. India’s vaccination model has been very important in defining the global trajectory of the COVID-19 pandemic,” are echoed by leaders across the world, who make it a point to note that India also helped the global community by providing vaccines, PPE kits, and medical equipment to several countries.