New York, NY– The American India Foundation (AIF) is leveraging its multi-sectoral programming on health, education and livelihoods across India to serve and protect underprivileged communities against the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as to help
them emerge strongly through the resulting social and economic crisis.
Through AIF’s existing ‘service delivery platforms’ comprised of frontline health workers,
teachers, community mobilisers, local self-governments, and others, the proposed
framework will be delivered to not only contribute to COVID-19 preparedness and response, but also to longer term health system strengthening in India.
The intervention framework for AIF’s COVID-19 response consists of the following focus
areas: behavior change communication (including digital engagement), promoting
community preparedness and building long-term resilience of communities. Further details
for each focus area of the response can be accessed at COVID-19: AIF India Preparedness
& Response Strategy.
“We believe that India’s poor, who have limited access to the right information, healthcare
and are predominantly employed/self-employed in the unorganized sector, are expected to
bear a disproportionate brunt of the economic fallout of this unprecedented health
emergency,” said AIF CEO Nishant Pandey. “In the medium to long term, the impact of job
losses, disruption in children’s education and social isolation might turn out to be greater
than those from the health emergency. As the COVID-19 pandemic continues, American
India Foundation is committed to ensuring the aid necessary so communities with the
greatest needs are not affected the hardest during this crisis.”
AIF’s experience in handling the relief needs and reconstruction efforts in several
catastrophes including the 2001 Bhuj Earthquake, 2004 Tsunami, 2008 Bihar Flood, 2013
Uttarakhand Flood, 2014 Kashmir Flood, 2015 Chennai Flood, and 2018 Kerala Flood,
positions it as a partner of first choice for carrying out work in health, livelihoods, and
education for those worst affected by the crisis.
AIF will prioritize staff well-being and duty of care for its staff, volunteers and partners in
carrying out these interventions, as well as working with an existing network of partners
across both countries in delivering the response strategy. Regular monitoring will ensure
that the processes laid out at the planning stage are adhered to.
AIF seeks the support of its donors and partners to augment its resources for the urgent
implementation of this COVID-19 India Preparedness & Response Strategy. To donate,
please visit https://aif.org/donate/covid-19-response/.
The American India Foundation is committed to catalyzing social and economic change in
India and building a lasting bridge between the United States and India through high-impact interventions in education, livelihoods, public health, and leadership development, with a particular emphasis on empowering girls and women to achieve gender equity. Working closely with local communities, AIF partners with NGOs and government to develop and test innovative solutions and with governments to create and scale sustainable impact. Founded in 2001 at the initiative of President Bill Clinton following a request from Prime Minister Vajpayee, AIF has impacted the lives of 5.6 million of India’s poor in 24 states.
