New Delhi:  The U.S. Government, through the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), has donated a first shipment of 100 brand-new, state-of-the-art ventilators to India to assist its fight against COVID-19.  This donation is part of President Trump’s generous offer of critical supplies in response to India’s urgent needs.

The ventilators, produced in the United States, reflect leading-edge technology.  They are compact and deployable, and provide India with flexibility in treating patients affected by the virus. 

USAID is working closely with the Government of India’s Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, the Indian Red Cross Society, and other relevant stakeholders in India and the United States to assist in the delivery, transportation, and placement of ventilators in select health care facilities throughout the country. 

At an event to commemorate the arrival of the ventilators, U.S. Ambassador Kenneth I. Juster said:  “The COVID-19 pandemic poses an unprecedented global health threat.  It is only through partnership and cooperation that we will be able to ensure a healthy future for people across the world.  In this spirit, the United States is pleased to provide the people of India with a donation of ventilators, made possible by the generosity of the American people and the innovation of American private industry.”

The 100 ventilator units are valued at almost $1.2 million.  In addition, USAID is funding a comprehensive package of support, which includes accompanying equipment and medical supplies, technical assistance, and service plans.  This donation builds on the $9.5 million that USAID and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have committed to India in response to the pandemic, which is helping to strengthen clinical care, disseminate essential health messages, improve disease surveillance, and more.

For decades, the United States has been the world’s largest provider of bilateral assistance in health.  Since 2009, American taxpayers have generously funded more than $100 billion in health assistance and nearly $70 billion in humanitarian assistance worldwide. 

For more information on the U.S. global response to COVID-19, please visit: https://www.state.gov/coronavirus and https://www.usaid.gov/coronavirus.