Thanks to the generous support of the Opportunity community, we were able to move swiftly to provide relief to those hardest hit by the virus’s second wave in India.

Microfinance institutions provided existing footprints and trusted networks into communities, enabling last-mile delivery of healthcare, support and relief packages.

We supported Indian health services and systems to deliver mass vaccination camps, mobile medical vans, a ‘doctor on the doorstep’ program, education, training and food ration kits for safe isolation at home. 

1. Opportunity partner Uplift ran two free mobile medical vans in containment zones in 14 urban slums of Pune, where no other health services were available. Vans provided primary care for an initial six-month period; on their busiest day they saw over 500 patients. 

2. More than 700 people with mild symptoms or exposure to COVID-19 isolated in 70 village-level quarantine centres established by Opportunity’s partners, like Healing Fields, and run by Health Leaders trained by Opportunity. Centres were located in unused school buildings, churches or government offices and helped people who lived in crowded circumstances to isolate safely.

3. Opportunity supported Healing Fields to deliver COVID-19 education to tackle rampant misinformation, via SMS, WhatsApp, comics, posters, voice message and in-person meetings where possible. Healing Fields has trained more than 1,200 COVID-19 Health Leaders who delivered information to 1.5 million vulnerable people.  

4. More than 560,000 people have been vaccinated in over 4,400 free Equitas pop-up vaccination camps as of July 2021, making it more convenient for communities to get immunised. (Vaccinations in private health facilities can cost up to INR 1,000 (AUD 20) excluding the cost of transport and loss of wages.) 

5. Opportunity’s partners helped deliver thousands of food ration kits including rice, vegetables and chai, sanitary kits and medicine to people in urban slums or rural communities so they could isolate safely. These women received food ration kits from Healing Fields.

6. A man from Kerala, south India, receives his first vaccination against COVID-19 at our mass vaccination camp with partner, ESAF. ESAF is operating targeted vaccination camps to reach 100 per cent immunisation for tribal and ethnic minority communities in Kerala.

7. Opportunity supported Cashpor to establish a total of 700 telemedicine clinics, operated by Health Leaders, providing free telemedicine services to more than one million households. Geeta (right), benefited when a doctor diagnosed her daughter Ankita’s condition and sent a prescription to their mobile phone.

To support Opportunity's health response in India, please consider donating to our India COVID-19 appeal.