India has recorded approximately 22.3 million COVID-19 cases since the pandemic began. The second wave has been more severe and has spread faster than the first. To slow and ultimate stop the spread, urgent actions are needed involving COVID-19 appropriate behaviour (CAB). These protective actions include frequent and thorough handwashing with soap, using masks and physical distancing. The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare^[1]has identified 15 CABs as our understanding of the disease has evolved.  On 5 May, 2021,World Hand Hygiene Day, IRC, UNICEF, WaterAid India, WHO and the SuSanA India chapter organized a webinar with experts from the field of public health, WASH, disaster management and more. The objective was to reach civil society organizations from across India with a Call to Action. It urged CSOs, local government institutions and other local networks to prioritize messaging on CABs, address the need for new or more nuanced messaging, and use effective channels to reach communities directly, especially in rural and small town India. 

More than 270 people attended the webinar where the Call to Action was presented. Several organizations expressed their support to the Call and spoke about the need to propagate it widely. Participants spoke about the need promote CABs and safe iso  lation in constrained settings especially among the vulnerable and marginalised. Networks of self-help groups, youth clubs and swachhagrahis could be engaged to promote CABs.

Capacity building at all levels was needed from the decision makers up to the front-line workers around CABs, said participants. Alongside, suitable and updated IEC materials, available from a central location in multiple languages should be provided. Technical guidelines on various aspects – handwashing points, wearing masks, ventilation and physical distancing – was also needed to ensure the correct hardware was available and used. The recording of the webinar is available at this link:
sphereindia-covid19academy.zoom.us/rec/s...0-3.yN4bGuQ6bWJd3Qme . Use the passcode of WaterAid_050521 to access it. The link to the presentation on CABs made at the webinar is here .

As a follow up, we are initiating a two-part e-discussion on the SuSanA India forum to elicit information from members on how they have promoted CABs with marginalized/vulnerable groups reached including  what worked well, what did not work, coverage (state, district), open source resources. This will be followed by the second part on management of health care waste at the home level. We are sharing a few important recent announcements from the Government of India on working with CSOs and other grassroots level organizations.

Please take a little time to read and comment on the call to action as well.
Thanks

Covid-19 appropriate behaviour (CAB) play a great role in preventing the spread of the corona virus. However, with over a year of the pandemic related communication, information overload and fatigue have set in. There is also confusion pertaining to priority messages for COVID-19 prevention and the most appropriate communication channels for widespread dissemination. As the second wave of COVID-19 engulfs India, it is critical that along with vaccination efforts, emphasis and support to protective behaviour information dissemination is enhanced and strategized as per the need of the hour. To further outreach of CAB, especially to remote areas, support of Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) to the overstretched government health system is essential.
 
On the occasion of World Hand Hygiene Day (5 May 2021), IRC, India Sanitation Coalition, UNICEF, WaterAid India, WHO, and the SuSANA India chapter are organizing a webinar with experts from the field of Public Health, WASH, Disaster Management and more. The purpose of the webinar is to activate organizations and networks across sectors to join the call to action and the dissemination of CAB for the second wave of the pandemic. 
 
Information from the webinar and the following e-discussion will be used to develop a readily available guidance document to be shared with the Central and state governments as well as CSOs for dissemination through multiple channels. We hope to reach several hundred CSOs across India who in turn can propagate these messages in their communities.
 
The objectives of the webinar are:
 

• To activate a network of CSOs to endorse the call to action and disseminate critical CAB messages, using appropriate communication tools.  
• To collectively agree on channels for regular updates, exchange of solutions, resources, and evidence, keeping in mind the changing situation.

The details of the webinar are as given below - 
Date: 5 May, 2021
Time: 4:00 - 5:30  PM
Link to register: tiny.cc/CA050521

The agenda is:

Time	Item	Speaker
4:00 - 4:10	Context setting	WaterAid India
4:10 - 4:20	Opening remarks - The need for CSO support	Official from Government of India and WHO
4:20 - 4:40	The need to continue CAB: The Call to Action	Endorsements and Commitments to CAB WHO UNICEF PATH SPHERE India Sanitation Coalition Aga Khan Foundation Swamy Vivekanand Youth Movement
4:50 - 4:55	Communication channels for the Call to Action; Invite comments on SuSanA Invite for contribution of relevant and updated communication collaterals on the SuSanA library	IRC
4:50 - 4:55	Comments from participants	WaterAid India IRC