Mayo Clinic responds to humanitarian needs in India due to the COVID-19 pandemic

Mayo Clinic continues to respond to local, national and global needs created by the COVID-19 pandemic. The impact of COVID-19 has been and continues to challenge communities throughout the world. 

In particular, Mayo leaders and staff have watched with great concern as India and other nations face a devastating second wave of disease. 

“Mayo Clinic stands with India as they fight to suppress the COVID-19 surge and with our staff who are concerned for family and friends directly affected,” says G. Anton Decker, MBBCh, president of Mayo Clinic International. “Mayo Clinic is continuing to explore ways to support relief efforts with its expertise as an organization.”

Given the intensity of the surge in India, many people have reached out to ask what they can do to help. Financial support to reputable humanitarian relief organizations is a direct way to support the COVID-19 response in India. 

The following organizations are collecting funds to support COVID-19 humanitarian relief efforts in India:

• The Akshaya Patra Foundation is based in Bengaluru, India, and works to eliminate hunger and malnutrition among school-aged children, serving wholesome food to more than 1.8 million children in schools across India. Their COVID-19 response efforts include care packages for students and families most affected, with nutritious food, hygiene products and educational materials, as well as school sanitation efforts.
• Americares focuses on serving the health needs of people affected by poverty or disaster. Americares has established an India COVID-19 Fund to help respond to the pandemic surge in India by providing health care workers with personal protective equipment and other life-saving equipment through partnerships with local governments and medical supply manufacturers. The fund is also helping to set up quarantine facilities and provide health education for community members. 
• Care is a global humanitarian organization based in India that focuses on alleviating poverty and social injustice through projects in health, education, livelihoods, and disaster preparedness and response. Care is responding to COVID-19 in India by enhancing connection and collaboration between service partners to coordinate care information, emergency humanitarian supplies, and public education efforts among poor and marginalized communities.
• Give2Asia is a U.S.-based international nonprofit working across the world to strengthen the work of local organizations and mobilizing support for emergent human service needs. With the second wave of COVID-19 cases in India, Give2Asia is seeking funds to respond to immediate needs such as emergency medical supplies for frontline workers, and providing meals and financial support to marginalized families. 
• Sewa International offers humanitarian relief services, including family services; child, tribal and refugee welfare; and women empowerment, health and education in developing countries around the world, including India. Sewa International is currently seeking funds to expand the capacity of partnering hospitals in India that are challenged with the surge in serious COVID-19 patients. It also is providing technical coordination, as well as distributing essential supplies (food, cleaning and care supplies, and personal protective equipment) to families, orphanages and senior care centers. 

Relief organizations indicate they prefer financial contributions over material donations due to the complications of safely transporting and distributing supplies in a timely manner.