Gandhinagar, Oct 23 (IANS): The Gujarat government will be helped by the Agha Khan Rural Support Programme (AKRSP) in getting the state vaccinated against Covid-19 through 'Project Pratiraksha'.

The trust has targeted around 400 villages with the least vaccination in the state comprising around 1.23 lakh families.

Manoj Agrawal, Gujarat Additional Chief Secretary, Health, on Saturday launched 'Project Pratiraksha', an awareness drive for Covid-19 by the AKRSP with the help of the State Bank of India where it will reach out to people in 10 blocks each from Gujarat and Bihar as well as two blocks in Madhya Pradesh for vaccination.

As many as 388 villages from 10 tehsils (blocks) from six districts of Dangs, Devbhoomi Dwarka, Junagadh, Surat, Surendranagar and Narmada will be covered. Besides these, Project Pratiraksha will also cover 95 villages of two tehsils in Madhya Pradesh and 180 villages of four tehsils in Bihar.

"The impact of vaccination is vast and maximum on our economy. The Pratiraksha project by the AKRSP is a wonderful initiative where people of remote areas will be reached out to finish the vaccination of the last person in the country. With such social responsibility, initiatives and other self-help groups, we will definitely be achieving our target of 100 crore vaccinations of the first vaccine dose as well as the second dose," Manoj Agrawal said.

"The AKRSP will be working in collaboration with the health department and primary health centres, Center for Health Care Strategies and government health workers to get the eligible population vaccinated. Mass awareness through vehicles and wall paintings in the community will be done about Covid-19 vaccination," said Apoorva Oza, CEO, AKRSP.

"Nearly 1.23 lakh families from 10 tehsils of Gujarat will be covered under the awareness drive regarding the vaccination. We selected these areas on the basis of government data which showed the least vaccination in the state. The project will largely focus on facilitating the rural population for the second dose and supporting the local government facilities to vaccinate the remaining population for the first dose," Oza added.