Sakhee Project is designed to address the health challenges, especially immunization, in urban slums settings. Today, an estimated quarter of the world’s urban population now resides in slums, which are low in uptake of health services and provide the ideal conditions for the spread of communicable diseases. Consequently, such slums serve both as reservoirs diseases, poor health condition and incubators for potential outbreaks. The slums also have low immunization rates with significant zero-dose and low-immunised children.
Sakhee project is setup in the slums of Mumbra and Kausa in Thane District of Maharashtra. Mumbra & Kausa’s high population density (18,646/sq.km), which is significantly higher than the TMC average (~6,000/sq.km), exacerbates the issue. The area is home to a large migrant population, primarily from Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh, with low literacy rates, low household incomes and poor living conditions. The population comprises of backward caste and Muslim population (~80-85%). According to data from the Thane Municipal Corporation (TMC), Mumbra & Kausa slums have been identified as a high-burden area for zero-dose and under-immunized children.
Key Activities:
1. Household-Level Engagement
- Transgender-led home visits to identify zero-dose and under-immunized children.
- Digital Talking Comics to address vaccine hesitancy through culturally relevant storytelling.
- Personalized follow-ups and reminders to ensure full immunization.
2. Community Mobilization and Mass Awareness
- MIRA Theatres (street plays) to spread vaccine awareness.
- Auto Campaigns (mobile loudspeaker messaging) to reinforce immunization messages.
- Community Booths, Kiosks & Poster Campaigns for information dissemination and vaccine tracking.
3. Strengthening Health System Integration
- Collaboration with ASHAs and Auxiliary Nurse Midwives (ANMs) to facilitate service delivery.
- Referral and linkage mechanisms to public health facilities.
- Capacity-building of transgender health intermediaries to create sustainable community-led solutions.
By leveraging transgender individuals as change agents, customized digital communication tools, and community-driven outreach methods, the Sakhee Project offers an innovative and scalable model for improving immunization outcomes in marginalized urban settings.
Our Approach
- The project uses the strength of transgender community and their informant network to identify high risk population- dropouts, fallouts and ensure timely follow-ups and reminder-recall system & work as intermediary;
- Transgenders component, as a support group, will have more inclusive approach ensuring increased and more equitable (Male/Female) reach of immunization services;
Innovation Design
Digital Tools
The Sakhee Project is a strong Technology linked Development Model. It provide 4 sets to tools and technology to Transgender teams developed under Sakhee project for immunization tracking and referral; for ensuring behaviour change in the community towards child immunization and vaccine uptake.
- Qaff- Surveillance Toolkit: This mobile based application is used for data collection through house-to-house survey done by the ground team.
- Tracking Sakhee Toolkit: This is a mobile application developed to register new-born/ missed doses children/ zero dose children/ pregnant women, follow-ups, reminder- recall for due vaccination.
- Sakhee SBCC Slate: This is an android based mobile application and has all stories (digital talking comics). This app is being used by the community health workers (transgenders) in the community, to create awareness around importance of immunization through digital talking comics and encourage people to vaccinate their children.
- Reminder & Recall: The project uses 2 approaches for Reminder-Recall for due upcoming vaccination – a. sending reminder & recall SMSs to caregiver/mother and; b. The due line-listing is prepared where Transgender leaders visit the household to share the story of the vaccine to motivate & build healthy
Community Activities
MIRA Theatre
Kiosk Activity
Auto Campaign
Sakhee Website
For more information on the project and other new initiatives under the Sakhee initiative, visit the website >>>