US Global Task Force on COVID-19

The External Affairs Minister of India recently held a discussion with the US Global Task Force on Pandemic Response. He discussed about the priorities of India in vaccines, pharmaceuticals and oxygen.

The Global Task Force on Pandemic earlier announced that it is closely working with US-India Strategic Partnership Forum and US-India Business Council to make three immediate actions.

What are the actions?

• To source, ship and deliver thousand ventilators.
• To deliver 25,000 oxygen concentrators.
• To create Chief Human Resources Officer India Action Group. The group will provide practical information and ideas to help Indian People.

About Global Task Force on Pandemic Response

• Around forty top American companies join hands to form the Global Task Force on Pandemic Response. The force is to provide massive COVID-19 emergency relief material to India.
• It was formed to provide uniform businesses to mobilize and deliver resources
• The Global Task Force on Pandemic Response is a new public-private partnership. It is organised by US Chamber of Commerce and is supported by the Business Roundtable.
• Recently three Indian Americans joined the force. They were:
  • Sunder Pichai from Google
  • Punit Renjen from Deloitte
  • Shantanu Narayen from Adobe
• More than sixteen businesses have joined the Task Force Ventilator initiative.
• All the businesses will provide 30 million USD of support to the healthcare of India.

Contributions by US Corporate Sector

The Corporate sector of the US has so far sent 25,000 Oxygen concentrators.

US COVID help to India

The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) recently announced that it is to send 100 million USD of aid to India. This includes 440 oxygen cylinders, 960,000 Rapid Diagnostic tests. Also, the US has redirected 20 million COVID-19 doses of AstraZeneca manufacturing supplies to India. Also, the US will provide 20,000 treatment courses of anti-viral drug Remdesivir.

Month: Current Affairs - May, 2021