Javadekar launches awareness campaign on Covid-19 vaccination, Aatmanirbhar Bharat

Union Minister for Information and Broadcasting Prakash Javadekar flagged off a mobile exhibition to spread awareness about Covid-19 vaccination and Aatmanirbhar Bharat in Pune on Sunday.

"Under this campaign, 16 specially fabricated vans will travel across 36 districts of Maharashtra to spread awareness among people," a press release by the ministry stated.

The campaign has been designed and implemented by the regional outreach bureau, Pune of Ministry of Information and Broadcasting in collaboration with the World Health Organization (WHO), UNICEF and the Information, Education and Communication (IEC) Division of the Maharashtra Health Department. The vans will also display messages through LED screens and these vans will be live tracked through GPS.

Speaking on the occasion, Javadekar said "The whole world is fighting COVID-19. However, even with a population of 130 crores, India has managed to keep its losses lesser than Latin America, Europe, or America."

The Minister said that with COVID vaccination having begun, we have entered the new phase of communication.

"India's vaccine roll out has begun. Ever since the launch of COVID vaccination programme, more than 50 lakh health and frontline workers have been vaccinated in the country. After frontline health workers, people who are over 50 years of age will be vaccinated and thereafter the whole population will be vaccinated," Javadekar said.

Minister further said that the mobile exhibition vans will travel 80-100 kilometres every day to create awareness about the vaccination program. The campaign intends to take the message of the vaccination plan and COVID-appropriate behaviour to the last mile in Maharashtra.

The cultural artists of the Song and Drama Division (SDD) will convey messages through folk performances popular in respective regions of Maharashtra.

"Curbing misinformation and rumours surrounding vaccines and spreading awareness about government's efforts towards Aatmanirbhar Bharat will be other objectives of this campaign," said the Minister

Communication has played a big role in containing the COVID-19 pandemic. In this initiative, the campaign aims to take the Government's communication to people's doorsteps. (ANI)