ADB approves $3 million grant to India to support COVID-19 response

“The new grant complements ADB’s ongoing support to the Government of India in strengthening its COVID-19 response,” said ADB Director for Human and Social Development for South Asia Sungsup Ra.

The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has approved a $3 million grant to India from its Asia Pacific Disaster Response Fund (APDRF) to further support the government's emergency response to the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic.

"The new grant complements ADB's ongoing support to the Government of India in strengthening its COVID-19 response," said ADB Director for Human and Social Development for South Asia Sungsup Ra. "This support will enhance disease surveillance and help in early detection, contact tracing, and treatment. This will be further supplemented by other public health measures."

The grant, which is financed by the Government of Japan, will be used to procure thermal scanners and essential commodities to strengthen the Government of India's COVID-19 response.

On 28 April, ADB approved a $1.5 billion COVID-19 Active Response and Expenditure Support (CARES) Program to support India in its immediate pandemic response efforts, including disease containment and prevention, as well as social protection measures for the poor and economically vulnerable, particularly women and disadvantaged groups.

The CARES program is funded through the COVID-19 pandemic response option (CPRO) under ADB's Countercyclical Support Facility. CPRO was established as part of ADB's $20 billion expanded assistance for developing member countries' pandemic response, which was announced on 13 April.