The PC institute conducted a unique implementation research study with women in Gujarat during the COVID-19 lockdown. The objective of the program were to: 1) Identify best practices in Lok Swasthya SEWA Trust’s phone-based cascade response to COVID-19 2) Identify challenges and areas for improvement in disseminating information and providing phone-based support, from the perspectives of trainers and women members 3) Explore how phone-based mobilisation can help link women and families to services through community-based resource centres.

The program was found to be feasible and acceptable in the community, where interactive group meetings could be conducted over a phone instead of interpersonal interactions, which were especially discouraged because of COVID. We learnt that content must be locally relevant and context driven to be well received, and to build trust and engagement in the society, there must be local presence.