Over 150 groups come together to aid COVID-19 response

Over 150 groups representing different sections of society have come together to aid the government’s coronavirus response. The #COVIDActionCollab (CAC) has been formed to combat the spread of COVID-19 effectively, according to a statement by the Catalyst Group, a 26-year-old social impact platform which ideated the collaborative. It said their purpose is to support various stakeholders -- civil society, private sector, academics, networks, foundations and Central and state governments -- to rapidly and cost-effectively prevent new infections, diagnose early, treat appropriately, and mitigate the negative impact of the pandemic on peoples’ livelihoods. On the strategy adopted by the Collaborative, Shiv Kumar, the Co-founder, Catalyst Group said, “The Collaborative is driven by three strategies: Deliver high impact package of services to key communities (12.5 million), where the collaborative members have a direct presence or reach, complementing the government; setup and operate an information exchange and build capacities of key partners and actors; solve critical challenges which can have a high impact on response with solutions such as competent resource estimation, nuanced telehealth and tele-counselling networks, infrastructure for community surveillance and more." The statement said the collaboration consists of over 150 organisations and would reach more than 12.5 million across 16 states and 100 districts in India. "The Collab is also expanding to other countries like Nigeria, Tanzania on request," the statement said.