Fast and Fair Covid 19, supporting the response to Covid 19 together with the Community
The project"Fast and Fair Covid 19, supporting the response to Covid 19 together with the Community"It emerged with the purpose of supporting government efforts to control the pandemic in Ecuador. CARE in alliance with RIOS led a 9-month intervention, focusing on strengthening prevention and control measures in specific communities. The collaboration with RIOS focused on supporting vulnerable groups, such as people in human mobility, LGBTIQ+ people, sex workers and the Awá community, improving their capacities to address Covid-19.
The project was carried out in two areas of northern Ecuador: the marginal area of the Ibarra canton and the rural border area of the Chical parish in the Tulcán canton. The EPICOM methodology and the Community Card were implemented in both contexts, achieving positive results in participation and calls, with the active collaboration of the Ministry of Public Health.
The methodology allowed participants to reflect on their main health problems, identifying respiratory infections and sexually transmitted diseases as common concerns. Subsequently, we worked together with the Community Card to address specific problems in health services, such as infrastructure, medication supply and quality of service.
Training, promotion and surveillance actions were carried out, as well as work plans to improve the conditions identified in the Community Card. Despite some challenges, such as time constraints, security context, and events such as the strike in June, the project made positive progress. Achievements stand out, such as dialogues on care protocols for respiratory infections, community surveillance and improvements in health centers.
For RIOS, the project represented an institutional opportunity by training community watchdogs, coordinating with the MSP, and achieving active community participation. The validation of the methodological complementation of EPICOM and the Community Card stands out.