US Announces ₹1,300cr Aid To 64 Nations To Battle Covid-19, India To Get ₹21.7cr
Mumbai: US announced $174-million (around ₹1,300-crore) financial assistance to 64 countries, including $2.9 million (around ₹21.7 crores) to India, to help them fight the coronavirus pandemic.
US said it’s providing the aid to help India prepare laboratory systems, activate case finding and event-based surveillance and more.
The newly announced aid is part of a larger US global response package for several departments and agencies, including the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDR). Funding continues for 64 of the most at-risk countries facing the threat of a global pandemic.
The US State Department said it is providing more than $ 2.9 million to the Indian government to design laboratory systems, activate case discovery and incident-based surveillance, and support technical experts for response and preparedness.
“This builds upon the foundation of more than $1.4 billion in health assistance out of the more than $2.8 billion in US assistance for India over the last 20 years,” the State Department said.
According to the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) deputy administrator Bonnie Glick, the new aid is based on America’s record of global health leadership.
“For decades, the United States has been the largest provider of bilateral aid in public health. The US has saved lives, protected people who are most vulnerable to disease, built health institutions, and promoted the stability of communities and nations,” he told reporters.
In South Asia, the State Department is providing $ 1 million in health funds to better prepare for its surveillance and identification of potential outbreaks.
To strengthen its national COVID-19 action plan, the United States has redirected more than $ 1 million in existing funding to healthcare providers and other immediate needs.
It is providing $1.3 million to Sri Lanka, $1.8 million to Nepal, $3.4 million to Bangladesh and $5 million to Afghanistan to help them fight the pandemic.
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