Response to COVID-19: Madhya Pradesh, India

Globally, the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has spread to about 200 countries and impacted everyone we know in some way, with over 14 million cases and more than 600,000 deaths across the globe till date. India now has the third most cases in the world, after the United States and Brazil. Madhya Pradesh is the second-largest state in India and the country’s fifth-most populous state, with a population that is a little smaller than that of Turkey. More than 70 per cent of the population lives in rural areas, where agriculture is the main source of most of their livelihoods.

This publication illustrates the approach and strategy adopted in Madhya Pradesh to tackle the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). The government of Madhya Pradesh adopted a four-pronged approach to tackle the pandemic, through strategy aiming at Identification, Isolation, Testing and Treatment (IITT). First, to identify coronavirus-affected areas, isolate them and test their residents, then to treat the patients if found positive. This strategy has proved to be an effective approach to combat COVID-19, as the state government planned and undertook targeted measures and interventions.