INDIA to get an additional $3 million from the US to fight the COVID-19 pandemic. The US Agency for International Development (USAID) has announced the funding.
On April 6, the USAID had announced a grant of $2.9 million to India to mitigate the spread of the deadly virus. US Ambassador to India Kenneth Juster said the additional funding will further support India's response to COVID-19.
Juster said: “This additional funding to support India in its continuing efforts to combat COVID-19 is yet another example of the strong and enduring partnership between the United States and India."
The USAID is providing these funds to the Partnerships for Affordable Healthcare Access and Longevity (PAHAL) project, an innovative financing platform, an official release said.
As of now, the US aid to India to fight COVID-19 stands at $5.9 million. This will help India slow the spread of COVID-19, provide care for the affected, disseminate essential public health messages to communities, and strengthen case finding and surveillance.
"Through the PAHAL project, USAID will support the National Health Authority to establish a financing facility that can mobilise resources from the private sector to assist over 20,000 health facilities enrolled under Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (PM-JAY), India's health insurance scheme for 500 million poor and vulnerable people," the statement said.
According to India's health ministry, 1,074 people have died of the infection and the total number of cases stand at 33,050 as on Thursday (30).
Damian Talbot