health, smart nature, ah, for a longer, healthier and fuller life. one of the most insightful discoveries in the history of mankind down the hash, likes sports for june, 16th on d, w. mm hm. you're watching d. w. news asia coming up today, an update on india's fight against cove, it 1st up underpaid and under appreciated community health workers in the capital. go on strike for better working conditions and to living with the lingering effects of the corona virus. a special report on the impact of long coven. ah,

i melissa chan, thanks for joining us. the number of new infections in india's only chron driven 3rd wave appears to be dropping. cases have not been as severe as the deadly 2nd wave, but it has still taken a toll, especially in large cities. one of the critical components in the countries health care system, our community women, workers, they go door to door to check on people and help them. but these women at the front lines feel they never got the recognition and they deserved. and in new delhi, thousands have gone on strike this month. here's t w's report. for these, the men are angry. for 11 days now, they have been locking in our users road in the heart of new delhi. they are primary health or on good bardy workers. i've been known during the last 2 years, we have been at the frontline,

the pandemic at the jaw suits level. the distributed masks, promoted vaccinations, and raised awareness level to locked downs. and corona writers, reeves without any protective equipment for themselves, and owned as little as $60.00 a month. we won't even given sanitizers my. we arranged for masks gloves and sanitizers on our own, so that we could continue our work. now i've worked for 26 years and does job, but i am not entitled to a bench, and this is why they're protesting for basic. well, could i get no protection? i've lost 3 family members to corona virus, yet i went to work with my toddler intro because we were told we cannot take leaves . paulson for workers here are demanding better working conditions and more b. 1 am ronnie has done and i'm been body center for 9 years. she says she is sole worked that she doesn't have time for her own children. the government doesn't value women's labor. think we will work a lot for bedding,

little wages as women. we end up accepting the stomach because we've figured at least we're earning something because unemployment has skyrocketed under this company. on the bodies were foss set up decades ago to fight child hunger and malnutrition, in viet luman, like johnny helped monitor the health of children and their mothers and distribute food ration. with this immediately to families. i'm going body workers like john he have close access to the 1000 people, they each have under their care. so over the years, they have been charged with looking after many additional social benefits. an anal handling extra duty is to help out jordan and debbie without any added compensation . despite that increasing workload these local, it's not only that nice is more than one of the key demands of these broadcasts. it's for them to be given the designation of permanent employees of the government

and to also to see the benefits that come with that on monday. but this would include has insurance mentions and vacation goals, which unit a stable government is reluctant to take on? the see the current system, blatantly exploits women's label. they are not, but if you think about them, ordered, but they are in a service which is rochelle, which is essential. and without which even governments don't function. i believe that government have dry, inc daunted another form. it's been supported responsibility that any government is yet to respond to these protests. these women are now planning to travel through the country to pull out what dc are the forms from exist. political parties are making to walker sat report from dw namisha jazz while and i might show rick, let's bring any dollies deli bureau chief am rita chima. thanks for joining us. so no response yet from the government. is there public support for these community health care workers, or are they on their own hill?

there is considerable public support for these uh workers. you know, the place such a key role at the grassroots level, they have a deep reach in the community, and which is what makes them such a valuable resource for the government. in times like this in times of a pandemic, they have connections. they have deep relationships in the community. now this, the heart of the problem really, melissa, is that these workers are viewed as volunteers and not at as employees. this is where the unions are fighting the battle for these workers and say, these people should be treated as employes and given all the protections they are, talks are going on between the government and the unions trying to look for some kind of compromise and see what they can come up with, but the last time these are women got a high, was in 2017. and that was after 50 days of strike. so these women are very

determined and they're going to be sitting there quite literally till they're get what they want. got it. now only can infections are easing in some parts of the country. is there a sense that our india's health care system is on top of the situation the health care system is in a much better position than it was last year during the deadly delta leave. and there are 2 reasons for this that melissa one is that the hospitals and authorities were much better prepared than the last time. and secondly, the only chron waive is vague, transmissible, but it didn't spread as fast as people thought it would. and also it's simply not as deadly as the delta we've the last year when the delta we've took india by storm . we saw horrific. see the could remember people gasping for, drill dead, a breath. and actually, you know, not having enough oxygen. so many people died, not enough hospital meds, but this time things are much better. and as i said,

a combination for the fact that people are better prepared, hospitals are better prepared and they are facing a variant which is not as ferocious as the last time. india faced the huge task of vaccinating and be more than a 1000000000 people against coven. i'm curious how that's coming along. actually, melissa, pretty well after a fairly slow start, vaccination is really picked up and the health minister gave latest data and the number of people are vaccinated above the age of 18. those who are eligible, he said that 95 percent had received the 1st hills and 76 percent had received the 2nd dues as well. and he also talked to my teenagers, people between the ages of 50 than 18 and said 10000000 of them had got both doses . so india is doing pretty well in terms of vaccination, as you said over a 1000000000 people to be vaccinated. and to get that number as high as that is quite a earth significant achievement. i mean that 95 percent is better than germany. and

now we've seen math gatherings like religious festivals and political rallies. dr. new surges in the country. and i know we have a big regional election getting underway in utah pradesh. it is a state with 200000000 people. i'm curious, have there been steps taken to control crowd sizes there? in fact, what does the dish has a population which is half the size of the european union. so electrons would started there today are going to go on for a month in 7 phases. the election a commission gave guidelines as to how these rallies and campaigns could take place . but of course, no one is paying any attention. the election commission said not more than 50 percent capacity in indoor auditoriums and not more than 30 percent outdoors. they said only 20 percent. so i bigger but normally 20 people were allowed to go for door to door campaigns. they put a bar on rallies, processions,

and so on. but if you look at the pictures, you would see that no one's been any attention to these guidelines. many thousands and thousands of people are out at these rallies. there's no social distancing. hardly any one is wearing a mass, not even the politicians. so we just have to wait and see what is that, what happens after these elections are over in a month or so, because last time, in a similar situation, when they were regional elections in india, we saw huge spike in the number of new infections, t w's delhi bureau chief and me to chima, thank you for that round up. ah, turning now to the challenge of long covert which some now called the parallel pandemic estimates suggest more than a 3rd of covert survivors will develop symptoms that linger long past initial infection. and they can range from headaches to fatigue and also to more serious conditions. we take a closer look at this from india where d w's minear,

chaudhry reports, thought not and, and cause her bed dog epa, her lifeline. she says the bub, he's on her doors all day, something which she says was not possible just a couple of months ago. 63, it was sad now was infected with the corona virus during the 2nd week. while her initial infection was not severe, a few days after testing negative, she was diagnosed with cardiac inflammation. a ball score with complication which left her with a tripling weakness for months. i used to feel so weak, so weak that i have read at times used to feel like i can't even sit. i must lie down a hardly her daddy's tam neighbors though, a very active person earlier. and i started feeling depressed, also always to feed a very low sadness. case is not exceptional. many other people have suffered from poor school with complete, more commonly known as long as it a name given to the persistent illness. a person feels by facing symptoms or effect for weeks or months after testing negative or the grown up iris. doctor,

are you scope thus as patients have come to him with complications like heading can but deep depression, palpitations and cardiac issues among others and struggling, numbered not as 60 to 70 percent of patients who recover from colbert. have these effects on them. there are some kind of risk factors which predict long covert duration of illnesses, one severity of a lesser 2nd. it is not completely understood. it is a science in a volition. so even young patients may be experiencing more symptoms than an elderly high disposition thought you had or draw shanita. barker was an avid yoga practitioner. she said she was at a healthiest stage when she tested positive during the 2nd reef. and her infection was quite mild. but soon after she started experiencing complications and was diagnosed with a balance disorder called vestibular disorder, which makes her feel dizzy and pauses constant bringing in her years like being on

a board all the time. so when i stand it don't flores like this. so for me to walk straight is a job. there was a point where i made legally needed to be good to go anywhere because i just couldn't get my runs. it got me and very overwhelming and exhausting wildfire. rashni it has been rehabilitate of therapy and yoga that have had tugging a sense of control over her condition. for sadness, it's been medication ample rift and help up epa, which helped her with her bosco, with complication. he sleeps with me. he took me like a small child to have him grandchild. now her reason i said she is a lot better. know as she has found some happy distraction with people, but for many like her, the lingering effect of core would remains inexplicable. that's it for today. be sure to check out our other stories and d, w dot com for slash asia or on facebook and twitter. thanks for watching. we're

back with more news asia tomorrow. see you then, with people in trucks injured when trying to flee the city center. more and more refugees are being turned away at the border. families playing bomb attacks in syria to these credit owners, wheeler, demonstrate people lean extreme round off counting 200 people around the world. more than

300000000 people are seeking with because no one should have to flee. make up your own mind. d. w. made for mines. ah, a key tests for india's prime minister and his agenda is years of regional elections has begun in india's most popular stage with unemployment. d, monetization, and tax balls high and voters agendas. look at the latest from our correspondence. also coming up you as entertainment giant, disney is reporting surprisingly large growth and it's streaming service. we'll get an expert view on how sustainable that is. and 3 months of mayhem. coming to an end,

we'll take you to the island of la paloma, where tourism is finally returning after the double impact of volcanic eruptions and the pandemic empress colburn berlin. welcome to the program. after china, japan, india is the most important economy in asia. and with 1400000000 inhabitants the largest democracy in the world. now, electrons have begun and india as most populous state. would a pradesh followed by voting in for other states. it will take at least until march 10th for all the votes to be cast and counted. the elections are being viewed as a barometer of 4 nor render modi's ruling parties, the prime minister of india, of course. and he started out promising to create jobs. but with the pandemic hitting the country's economy hard, unemployment is still one of the biggest problems people in india are facing the economy is on the upswing again,

not many jobs were lost during the pandemic. unemployment st.