Assam, which is located in the country's northeast, is regarded as the entryway to North East India. One of India's most beautiful and historic states is Assam. MOMENTUM Routine Immunization Transformation and Equity funded by the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) has provided the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW) and State Government technical assistance and all-round support to increase the demand and uptake of the vaccine amongst vulnerable and marginalized communities residing in the state. The vaccination program in Assam covered the entire State, including both rural and urban areas; traversing the flourishing tea gardens, small river islands, the ever-flowing river, tribal settlements, and other off-the-map hamlets and villages. As it covers kilometers, the vaccination team overcame difficult terrain and skepticism. Community partnership played a vital role. From the ASHA workers to local community leaders, Doctors, Auxiliary Nurses and Midwives, and Health Workers—all participate wholeheartedly to convince and vaccinate millions.
The project activities were implemented in 18 districts through 3 sub-awardees: TCIF, HelpAge India, Wish Foundation
To increase the uptake of COVID-19 vaccination, the project supports the Government of India and the state Government in vaccination planning, inter-departmental coordination, need-based monitoring, enhanced community engagement, and prioritization of activities for COVID-19 vaccination programs at the state and district. The team led risk communication activities with the state officials and coordinated efforts to enhance vaccination in low-coverage areas.
The project worked closely with these groups to address vaccine reluctance.
The project utilized Wellness on Wheels (WoW) mobile vehicles and door-to-door campaigns to reach hard-to-reach populations, such as tea workers, and dispel myths and misconceptions about the COVID-19 vaccine.
The project addressed vaccine reluctance and increased vaccine eagerness through traditional folk dance, street drama, and games.
Boat Clinics were organized to reach the most marginalized sections with vaccination.
A dissemination workshop was organised to disseminate the major accomplishments as well as the key learnings obtained during the journey of the “Momentum Routine Immunization Transformation and Equity” project across the 18 districts of Assam. On March 16th, 2023, the workshop was conducted at Guwahati. The workshop was held with the objective of sharing the success stories, best practices, and various innovative approaches adopted during the implementation of the “Momentum Routine Immunization Transformation and Equity” project.