The United States has pledged to extend an extra USD 41 million in funding to assist India in responding to the COVID-19 epidemic and strengthening the country's preparedness for future health catastrophes, bringing the total support to moreover USD 200 million.
In April and May, India was hit by the second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic, with over 30,000 new cases reported per day. Hospitals were suffering from a severe lack of medical oxygen and beds.
“India came to the assistance of the United States during this country’s time of need, and now the United States stands with the people of India as they continue to battle the COVID-19 pandemic,” the US Agency for International Development said on Monday.
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USAID has announced an additional USD 41 million in assistance to India in response to the COVID-19 pandemic and to increase the country's preparedness for COVID-19 and future health catastrophes.
USAID's assistance will support access to COVID-19 testing, pandemic-related mental health services, timely referrals to medical services, and access to healthcare in remote areas, the independent agency of the US federal government primarily responsible for administering civilian foreign aid and development assistance said.
Through this additional funding, USAID will continue to partner with India to strengthen healthcare supply chains and electronic health information systems, support its vaccination efforts, and mobilize and coordinate private sector relief, it said.
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USAID has contributed more than USD 200 million for India's COVID-19 relief and response efforts since the pandemic began, including more than USD 50 million in emergency supplies and training for more than 214,000 frontline health workers on infection prevention and control, benefitting more than 42 million Indians, according to a media release.
The US is providing significant emergency assistance to the hardest-hit countries in South Asia, including India and Nepal, by allocating more than USD 300 million under the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021, which President Joe Biden had signed on March 11.
In May, President Biden announced USD 100 million worth of COVID-19 assistance to India.
The US-India Chambers of Commerce Foundation has raised more than USD 1.2 million for coronavirus-related efforts in India.
With record-breaking fundraising, the US-India Chambers of Commerce Foundation has shipped or en route nearly 120 ventilators and over 1,000 oxygen concentrators, a release said on June 3.
Also, India will be a significant recipient of the US vaccines after Biden announced details of his administration's decision to send 25 million COVID-19 shots to countries across the globe.
India has been included in both the identified categories - direct supply to neighbours and partner countries, and under the COVAX initiative.
(with inputs from PTI)
