Dharavi in Mumbai/FILE
Dharavi, Asia's largest slum, was lauded by the World Health Organisation for breaking chains of coronavirus transmission. Citing exemplars from across the globe, WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus on Friday mentioned Dharavi along with Vietnam, Cambodia, Thailand, New Zealand, Italy, Spain, and South Korea. Dharavi has moved from being a coronavirus cluster to a successful containment model. It has come a long way in its fight against coronavirus pandemic. The 2.5 square kilometer area, that packs nearly 6.5 lakh people, had recorded just one case on Tuesday.
"There are many examples from around the world that have shown that even if the COVID-19 outbreak is very intense, it can still be brought back under control. In Vietnam, Cambodia, Thailand, New Zealand, Italy, Spain, South Korea and even in Dharavi...a densely packed area in Mumbai, a strong focus of community engagement and basics of testing, tracing, isolation and treating the sick is key to breaking chains of transmission and suppressing the virus," Dr. Tedros said during a presser on Friday.
Dharavi has also registered an impressive number of recoveries. The low-income residential sprawl, constituting narrow lanes and make-shift houses, has just 166 active cases while 1,952 patients have been discharged from hospitals following recovery so far. The total number of cases in the region stands at 2,359.
Weeks ago, Dharavi was considered the biggest threat to Mumbai's fight against the virus. However, enforcing a strict lockdown and keeping social distancing measures in place has yielded results for Dharavi.
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