India’s COVID-19 Crisis Requires “mammoth Global Effort”

World Vision is at the epicentre of India’s COVID-19 crisis and stands ready to ramp up its response to the emergency as it mourns the loss of staff to the virus in recent days.

The organisation is working in some of India’s worst-hit areas and is supporting health facilities and vulnerable families in the wake of a COVID-19 second wave in India.

Due to the urgent lifesaving needs, World Vision India is now refocussing its COVID-19 response and is set to allocate approximately $2.7 million NZD for beds and oxygen concentrators in 93 hospitals.

But only a huge global effort can address the disaster. There’s a critical need for COVID-19 patient beds and oxygen in most hospitals.

World Vision India is facing its own challenges - with more than 100 staff members infected, including two who have died, and a lockdown - but is gearing up to respond to lifesaving needs.

“This grim situation is escalating rapidly and it will take a mammoth global effort to help the people of India get COVID-19 back under control,” says Franklin Jones, the head of Humanitarian Emergency Affairs for World Vision India.

“WV India is networking with the Government to ensure vulnerable communities can access the healthcare they so desperately need. We’re working hard in communities to ensure that people have safe, fast and equitable access to the vaccine, working closely with district administrations to support the Government’s efforts to reach more people.”

World Vision is prepared to be responding to the crisis for a long time to come. “There’s the response and then the recovery, and we will be heavily involved in the recovery phase for these communities,” Franklin Jones said.

World Vision India’s National Director Madhav Bellamkonda said the recent spike in cases confirmed that India was enduring its toughest phase so far in the COVID-19 crisis.

“It is imperative that people follow the government’s advice and the prevention messages aligning with vaccine advocacy that World Vision India has also been sharing in order to reduce transmission,” he said.

“But the reality of crowded cities and mobility of people without Government-mandated precautions and the emergence of the new strains has made the control efforts harder and there is a risk of losing some important gains India has made in the fight against COVID-19."

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