Unmasking Realities: Public Health Communication in India During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Abstract

The authors take a critical look at India’s public health communi-cations during the COVID-19 pandemic. The case study method is used. Data include what was gleaned from interviews with key informants engaged in outreach communication, news reports, and artefacts from select COVID campaigns as they evolved through the first and second waves of the pandemic. Learnings are drawn from previous health communication campaigns that focused on behavior change including India’s successful and well recognized communications interventions during its HIV and AIDS campaigns, as well as its remarkable Pulse Polio efforts.