Sama has over the last ten months, been engaged with ethical, scientific issues related to COVID‐19 diagnostics, vaccines, and therapeutics (DVTs), particularly their equitable distribution and access as well as personal protective equipment (PPE) and other safety concerns of frontline health workers (FLWs). Throughout this period, despite the aggravated challenges, the FLWs have played a critical role in prevention and care during the pandemic.
ASHA workers, who have continued to play a crucial role in community awareness and mobilization throughout this period, have iterated the several challenges including the lack of adequate compensation for the extra hours of work during the pandemic, the continued non-regularization of their work and remuneration, lack of access to health care as well as other social security measures. With the roll out of vaccines, their work has escalated given their central role in awareness building and mobilization in the community. Moreover, being amongst the first to undergo vaccination, their experiences and insights, including their health related concerns should not be disregarded / neglected.
Sama is organizing a series of consultations which will systematically document the experiences of FLWs.
For details, contact Nitin Jadhav and Neelanjana Das
[email protected]