How to help India amid COVID-19 surge

To the HPS community:

As we are all aware, India is experiencing a tragic and devastating second wave of COVID-19 and causing a crisis that few countries have ever experienced. On May 13, there were over 343,288 new confirmed cases and over 3,999 deaths, but both of those numbers underestimate the true burden. The Indian health system is overwhelmed and many hospitals are overflowing with patients. Many patients are being turned away from the hospital and are unable to get the care they need. The problem is particularly severe in rural and slum communities, as access to health resources were already limited.

The Health Promotion Sciences Department expresses our profound sadness for the lives lost and the ongoing suffering of the people of India. As a department, we are initiating efforts to leverage our compassionate community and our public health expertise to find ways to be of assistance in the coming weeks. Please look for further communications, we invite you to share any ideas you might have. Here is an example of a community response in India: https://www.firstgiving.com/fundraiser/sahaya/phrii