Health Communication program with focus on COVID-19 launched by DST and NCSTC

YASH by DST and NCSCTC launched to create awareness among the masses about healthy lifestyles, focussing on CVOID-19. YASH is a health and a risk communication programme where in Academic, Research, Media and Voluntary organisations will come together, to make this programme a success.

As per a tweet by DST, programme on health and risk communication ‘Year of Awareness on Science & Health (YASH)’ with focus on COVID-19 has been launched by National Council for Science & Technology Communication (NCSTC) and Department of Science & Technology (DST).

• .@IndiaDST unveils #health #Communication #programme with focus on #COVID19 .@drharshvardhan @Ashutos61 @Adviser_DST @COVIDNewsByMIB @MoHFW_INDIA @ICMRDELHI https://t.co/bU5kQmf26L

  — DSTIndia (@IndiaDST) May 2, 2020 " class="align-text-top noRightClick twitterSection" data="

  .@IndiaDST unveils #health #Communication #programme with focus on #COVID19 .@drharshvardhan @Ashutos61 @Adviser_DST @COVIDNewsByMIB @MoHFW_INDIA @ICMRDELHI https://t.co/bU5kQmf26L

  — DSTIndia (@IndiaDST) May 2, 2020

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  .@IndiaDST unveils #health #Communication #programme with focus on #COVID19 .@drharshvardhan @Ashutos61 @Adviser_DST @COVIDNewsByMIB @MoHFW_INDIA @ICMRDELHI https://t.co/bU5kQmf26L

  — DSTIndia (@IndiaDST) May 2, 2020

Academic, Research, Media and Voluntary organisations will come together under this health and communication programme. All of them will collectively work in finding out the important steps to be taken to fight the challenges arising from the COVID-19 pandemic. Emergency preparedness to tackle this situation is yet an another subject which these organisations will work for.

This programme will work with people at the grassroot levels making them more aware and conscious of what needs to be done to fight COVID-19 , addressing both the science and health issues. In order to minimize the risks at all levels, this programme will adopt tools like public communication and outreach activities. These will be used to create awareness on issues like personal sanitation and hygiene, social distancing, etc.

YASH will also include adopting ways and means to to reduce the fear of risks and build confidence with necessary understanding for adopting sustainable healthy lifestyles and nurturing scientific culture among masses and societies.

"In the absence of vaccines and cure for COVID-19, conveying the authentic best practices on cutting down on the transmission of virus and its management are of paramount significance. In order for a widespread grass-roots impact, our communication strategies have to be multidimensional, engaging, informative and delivered with speed and scale," said Professor Ashutosh Sharma, Secretary, DST.