As part of its efforts to eradicate the coronavirus pandemic, Google has announced a $7.5 million grant for Pakistan and five other Asian countries to support urgent COVID-19 response.
Google.org, Google’s philanthropic arm, is providing a USD$1.5 million grant to UNICEF to support urgent COVID-19 response needs across five countries including Pakistan, Thailand, Malaysia, Vietnam and the Philippines.
In a statement, the UNICEF-Philippines said they will use the grant to train health workers in infection prevention and control, distribute hygiene and disinfection kits, support continued learning of children, and increase access to medical, legal, psychological and social services for children and women survivors.
“UNICEF will also continue to support governments and communities to control the spread of the virus and minimize morbidity and mortality, including by enhancing preparedness for possible future waves of Covid-19,” the statement read.
Bernadette Nacario, country director of Google Philippines, said the pressure on the country’s healthcare system due to new variants spreading in the country has deepened their motivation to extend support.
“We’ll also continue to focus on ensuring timely access to information, as well as tools for all Filipinos to stay informed, connected, and safe during this crisis,” she said.
Karin Hulshof, regional director of UNICEF in East Asia and the Pacific, expressed her gratitude citing global response as the only means to protect communities.
“We will continue working with our partners and lean on them for their expertise, innovative solutions, and flexible funding to help minimize the impact in the region and beyond,” Hulshof said.
Google.org will also provide USD5 million worth of Ad Grants to local government agencies and organizations across Southeast Asia, including the Philippines, to run public health information campaigns for free.
Since last year, Google has provided over USD27 million in Ad Grants to support local governments including the World Health Organization who served over 343 million public service announcements (PSAs) to reach audiences with messages on how to stay safe and facts about vaccines.
At the onset of the pandemic, Google.org funded vaccine distributions in Asia and across the world through Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance.
