How India’s Diaspora in US helped India in COVID Crisis

Synopsis – The Indian diaspora contributed to the US’s decision to allow raw materials for COVID-19 vaccines for India.

Introduction-

• The US in a decision had denied India the raw material for vaccine preparation. It justified this decision with its America First policy.
• The US was criticized for not doing enough to aid India, which had helped the US, when COVID was raging there.
• However, after the collective outrage of the Indian diaspora or prominent members of the US political and corporate elite, the US government allowed India with raw material supply.

Other assistance announced by US
The diaspora has played an important role in ensuring that the US administration prioritizes India’s COVID crisis, and the following are the results of the diaspora outrage-

• First, the US Defence Production Act’s provisions are being reconsidered – By approving the supply of filters required for the Covishield vaccine’s production.
• Second, excess doses will be released to other countries– the US is likely to give away 60 million surplus doses of AstraZeneca vaccine by June to other countries [subject to FDA clearance].
• Third, a comprehensive plan has been prepared- The US government has prepared a detailed plan for supply of oxygen and associated equipment, besides setting up field hospitals with oxygen beds.
• Four, The US government has also ramped up supplies of medicine [Commercial supplies of therapeutics] especially remdesivir.
• Five, the US Development Corporation will fund the BioE [Indian vaccine firm] to expand its manufacturing potential. By the end of 2022, India and the other three QUAD partners will have generated and distributed at least one crore doses.

Way forward-

• The reason behind the US response went from radio silence to rapid-fire in quick succession was the outrage from the Indian Diaspora .
• In health-related cooperation, the US must recognize that assisting India helps the whole world. India-made vaccines would benefit people in Africa, Asia, and Latin America.
• Influential figures in the US should back India and South Africa’s IPR waiver proposal under the TRIPS agreement.

Source- The Indian Express

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