As President Joe Biden pledged on April 26, 2021, the United States, through the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), is rapidly mobilizing assistance to save lives, stop the spread of COVID-19, and meet the urgent health needs of the Indian people.
Today, the United States deployed the first of several emergency COVID-19 relief shipments to India. Arriving in New Delhi from Travis Air Force Base on the world’s largest military aircraft, the shipment includes 440 oxygen cylinders and regulators, generously donated by the State of California. In addition, on this first flight, USAID will send 960,000 Rapid Diagnostic Tests to identify infections early to help prevent the community spread of COVID-19, and 100,000 N95 masks to protect India’s frontline healthcare heroes.
Today’s announcement builds on USAID’s ongoing efforts to mitigate the pandemic in India. USAID has provided over $23 million in assistance since the start of the pandemic, directly reaching nearly 10 million Indians. USAID is quickly procuring 1,000 medical oxygen concentrators that will be used in 320 primary health care facilities. USAID programs have helped save lives and treat individuals infected with COVID-19; reduce COVID-19-related stigma; strengthen case-finding and surveillance; and mobilize innovative financing mechanisms to bolster emergency preparedness and pandemic response.
For decades, USAID has worked in close partnership with India to address many of the country’s most pressing health challenges, including maternal and child mortality, polio, HIV, and tuberculosis.
The United States has stood shoulder to shoulder with the people of India for more than 70 years, and will continue to fight the COVID-19 pandemic together. Just as India sent assistance to the United States when U.S. hospitals were strained early in the pandemic, the United States is now helping India during its time of need.
Those interested in donating to the relief efforts in India and around the world should visit the Center for International Disaster Information.
Translation: Tamil (MS Word: 22 KB) | Kannada (MS Word: 18 KB) | Malayalam (MS Word: 14 KB)
