OPPI partners with four organisations to support Centre’s initiative to reduce COVID-19 transmission  

OPPI, along with IAPO, NATHEALTH, IPA and SEARPharm Forum, has launched a campaign called ‘No One is Safe until Everyone is Safe’  to create more awareness about the pandemic

As India continues to battle the scourge of the second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Organisation of Pharmaceutical Producers of India (OPPI) has, along with the International Alliance Of Patients’ Organizations (IAPO), Healthcare Federation of India (NATHEALTH), the Indian Pharmaceutical Association (IPA) and SEARPharm Forum (a forum of FIP and WHO with National Pharmaceutical Association of the South East Asian Region (SEAR)), has come together to support central and state governments’ efforts to ensure dissemination of correct information about COVID-19 and encourage people to get vaccinated, according to a joint statement.

The statement also said that as a first step, this multi-stakeholder partnership has launched the campaign ‘No One is Safe until Everyone is Safe,’ which will immediately start disseminating verified information about COVID-19 and encourage people to get their vaccine doses at the earliest.

“The key objective of the campaign is to increase awareness and educate citizens through factual and real-time data to weed out miscommunication and bust numerous myths and incorrect information which are causing confusion and exposing more people to danger,” it added.

As per the statement, this collaborative campaign focusses on four key areas:

Individual responsibility

• Ensuring that every person takes responsibility to mask up (with N95 masks or double-mask in the case of cloth masks – a combination of a surgical mask inside and a cloth mask as the second layer) and restrict unnecessary travel outside the home to a minimum and as per the prescribed government guidelines from time to time
• Following social distancing norms and ensuring that they are not participating in any gathering
• Following sanitisation protocol regularly to ensure personal and others’ safety
• Regular temperature and blood oxygen-level checks and quarantining at home in case of the onset of symptoms. Consulting healthcare professionals through teleconsulting to ensure testing for COVID-19, where needed, and use door-step delivery mechanism for delivery of prescribed medicines
• Following treatment and prevention guidelines from authentic sources like the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoH&FW), and not resorting to unscientific measures

Responsibility towards community 

• We need to help all, especially those who do not have enough support to take care of themselves. This can include supporting with the correct and factual information, encouraging others to maintain the social distancing and safety norms, reducing stigma and discrimination and supporting those in home quarantine
• It will take collective action from all to keep everybody safe. Under the current circumstances, we have to help each other as much as possible for the greater good of society. For example, report those not following norms to the respective authorities

Role of healthcare ecosystem

• All stakeholders in the healthcare ecosystem, including hospitals, pharmaceutical companies and pharmacists, should act in consonance with each other to create awareness and make relevant information available on a regular and timely basis
• Healthcare stakeholders must ensure that there are enough life-saving materials available to prevent panic and any subsequent hoarding of essential drugs/medical items
• Healthcare stakeholders must behave in an ethical and just manner following the highest code of business ethics

Encouraging vaccination

• We support the Central and state governments’ mission to make vaccines available to citizens who are aged 18 years and above
• Vaccination doses will soon be adequately available. It is essential for everyone to take the jabs, when it’s their turn
• All vaccines are safe and an absolute necessity to fight against the virus, providing us the necessary immunity to keep ourselves and our near ones safe

The campaign will be followed by a virtual knowledge series to share high-quality educative content on COVID-19 and related issues. Spanning from busting some of the often-used myths related to the pandemic to covering emerging global trends, path to economic recovery and importance of industry collaborations during COVID-19 and beyond, the series aims at increasing public awareness on the pandemic and the way forward as discussed by leaders from the industry, medical community and academia. The first of the series will start on 18th June, and will extend till the end of August, notified the statement.

It also said, “The industry associations acknowledge the considerable challenges faced by Central and state governments to urgently address the enormous strain the pandemic is placing on healthcare systems, societies and economies. Our collective membership remains committed to sharing our knowledge with regulatory authorities, public health experts and academics to assist with evidence-based decision-making.”