US aid to India aimed at mobilizing innovative financing mechanisms for emergency preparedness.
Since the outbreak of covid-19, the US government has committed more than $775 million in emergency health assistance worldwide including nearly $5.9 million to India to fight the pandemic.
This funding, provided by Congress, will save lives by improving public health education, protecting healthcare facilities, and increasing laboratory, disease-surveillance, and rapid-response capacity in more than 120 countries, the State Department stated Wednesday.
Nearly $5.9 million in health assistance to help India slow the spread of covid-19, is intended to provide care for the affected, and disseminate essential public health messages to communities.
It’s also aimed at strengthening case findings and surveillance, and mobilize innovative financing mechanisms for emergency preparedness and response to the pandemic.
RELATED: American Bazaar’s Covid-19 coverage
This builds on a foundation of nearly $2.8 billion in total assistance to India over the last 20 years, which includes more than $1.4 billion for health, the State Department said.
In New Delhi, the US Embassy said the US assistance for covid-19 includes $3 million provided through the US Agency for International Development (USAID).
In coordination with the Government of India, USAID is providing these funds to the Partnerships for Affordable Healthcare Access and Longevity (PAHAL) project, an innovative financing platform of IPE Global.
In announcing this assistance, US Ambassador to India Kenneth I. Juster stated, “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.”
Through the PAHAL project, USAID will support the National Health Authority to establish a financing facility that can mobilize 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 embassy said.