Ericsson and employees donate nearly $1 million to UNICEF’s COVID-19 humanitarian response in India

To help address urgent healthcare needs in India brought about by the second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic in the country, networking and telecom company Ericsson announced its support to UNICEF’s COVID-19 humanitarian response in the country.

Ericsson made an upfront donation to UNICEF and launched a month-long company matching employee donation drive globally in May, which resulted in a total donation amount of $971,567 to UNICEF. Ericsson employees from more than 95 countries donated towards this UNICEF initiative for India.

Ericsson’s donation will go towards providing critical medical supplies and equipment in India. This includes increasing the number of RT-PCR testing machines to boost identification of new COVID-19 cases and providing oxygen generation plants as well as procuring other critical supplies for health facilities in areas with the greatest needs in the country. These supplies and equipment will ensure continuity and sustained access to immediate health services for children and their families and contribute to strengthening the health system in the future.

“India is a very important market for Ericsson and a large number of our global employee base is located there. Many Ericsson colleagues around the globe asked how they could support India during the second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic,” said Heather Johnson, Vice President for Sustainability and Corporate Responsibility for Ericsson. “UNICEF is our long-standing partner and we decided to join forces to launch this donation campaign. The funds will go towards supplying medical equipment through UNICEF and will help in the early detection and COVID-19 treatment and provide much-needed relief to the severely affected people in India,” she added.

UNICEF India is well placed to support preparedness and response to COVID-19, through its well-established presence across 13 field offices in India, where it works to provide assistance and technical expertise in the areas of Health, Nutrition, Water and Sanitation, Disaster Risk Reduction, Education and Child Protection.

“The COVID-19 pandemic has impacted countless lives in India and around the world. UNICEF, together with partners, are tirelessly working to help save lives through the swift delivery and provision of urgent medical supplies and equipment in India,” said Charlotte Petri Gornitzka, UNICEF Deputy Executive Director for Partnerships. “We are grateful to Ericsson and their employees for their timely and generous support in this crisis,” she said.

Ericsson, through its local Sustainability and Corporate Responsibility partners, began supporting initiatives in 2020 such as collecting COVID-19 test samples for testing at designated government labs in Chennai and Pune, India and donating Personal Protection Equipment (PPE) to hospitals and sanitation workers. These efforts continue to be supported by the company.

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