With 8.5 lakh people living in cramped houses, Asia’s largest slum, Dharavi in Mumbai was once a coronavirus hotspot.
But things turned around and it became successful in flattening the Covid-19 curve.
This story needs to be told. And recently WHO lauded the efforts and strategy that helped contain the spread of coronavirus in Dharavi.
Talking of examples from around the world, Dr. Tedros Adhanom, Director General of WHO, said:
There are many examples from around the world that have shown that even if the outbreak is very intense, it can still be brought back under control.
Further, mentioning Dharavi along with other countries that have been successful in breaking the chain, he said:
And some of these examples are Italy, Spain and South Korea, and even in Dharavi – a densely packed area in the megacity of Mumbai – a strong focus on community engagement and the basics of testing, tracing, isolating and treating all those that are sick is key to breaking the chains of transmission and suppressing the virus.
Reports suggest that throughout June, Dharavi recorded an average of 18 new cases daily. Since July, the number of new cases have declined.
This recognition by the world’s apex health organisation is a proud moment for Indians.
Dharavi’s success story is giving all of us the hope of coming out of this pandemic successfully.