New Delhi (NVI): The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has committed USD 3.6 million to help India combat the COVID-19 pandemic. This is the first tranche of funds provided by CDC to India.
“These resources will support prevention, preparedness, and response activities in India,” the US Embassy said in a statement.
The funds will also strengthen the country’s efforts to increase laboratory capacity for SARS-COV-2 testing, including molecular diagnostics and serology.
The goal of the CDC’s global health response to COVID-19 is to limit human-to-human transmission and minimise the impact of COVID-19 through partnerships with key country and non-governmental partners to mitigate vulnerabilities and gaps in preparedness, the US Embassy said.
The funds will further support the development of Infection Prevention and Control (IPC) centers of excellence that can improve the ability of hospital networks to detect COVID-19 and local health systems through enhanced surveillance and monitoring systems.
The CDC will work with local partners to assist in the development of a strong public health workforce to support India’s capacity to respond not only to this pandemic but to the future threats as well.
In addition to this, the CDC India program will provide technical assistance for the Government’s ongoing crisis emergency and risk communication efforts, the Embassy said.
Since early January, the CDC’s India Office has been collaborating with sub-national and national government institutes to support the COVID-19 response in India, even before the first case of coronavirus was detected in the country.
CDC has also conducted training across India for healthcare administrators, physicians, nurses, and hospital staff on preparedness and response, infection prevention and control, laboratory operations, and field epidemiology to equip frontline response workers with the necessary skills to collect, analyze, and interpret data, and contribute to evidence-based decisions.
The CDC has a long-standing relationship and technical collaboration with the Health Ministry (MoFHW) to control HIV, tuberculosis, and malaria, eradicate polio, and prepare responses to influenza and other pandemic diseases.
These previous investments to improve health security have laid the foundation for rapid and effective preparation for emerging threats, including the current coronavirus outbreak.
For decades now, the United States has been the world’s largest provider of bilateral assistance in public health. In India, the US government agencies, including the US Agency for International Development (USAID), the Centers for Disease and Control and Prevention, and other Department of Health and Human Services agencies, have provided more than USD 1.4 billion help in health assistance and nearly USD 2.8 billion in total assistance over the last 20 years.
