Coronavirus pandemic: NCOC directs RSPs to enhance community mobilisation

ISLAMABAD: The National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC) on Friday directed the Rural Support Programmes (RSPs) across the country to enhance community mobilisation for effectively containing the coronavirus pandemic, an official press release said.

According to the official statement, the NCOC met today with Minister for Planning Development Reforms and Special Initiatives Asad Umar in chair.

The meeting closely observed the existing structure of the RSPs in the country in its high-level meeting organised on the Labour Day.

The centre noted that community mobilisation was of utmost significance to cope with any pandemic or a national crisis.

The NCOC statement mentioned that public awareness and education are important in overcoming many critical issues during the crisis.

“Keeping this in view, the NCOC has developed its community strategy and conducted data mapping of every nook and corner of the country.

It was found through the data analysis that 67 percent population of the country lived in rural areas, 81 percent were using mobile phones, 78 percent watched television, 37 percent listened to radio where the statistics also included the social media usage,” the NCOC press release stated.

The centre said that in light of the information, it developed four data groups comprising individual, family, society, and community members.

Based on these strata, a language medium was also devised for public awareness, it said.

The forum said it extensively mulled over community mobilisation to ensure that smooth and prior information sharing was ensured to masses till date and after May 9.

“The RSPs directed to come forward for playing its role in community mobilisation were Agha Khan Rural Support Programme, Sarhad Rural Support Programme, National Rural Support Programme, Institute of Rural Management, Balochistan Rural Support Programme, Sindh Graduate Association and Sindh Rural Management.

The network of these RSPs was based on 2,152 local support organisations, a total of 36,897 village organisations and 489,525 community support organisations,” said official statement.

The centre observed that the national outreach of these support organisations involved around 54 million people, along with a network sprawling over 149 districts.