[Congressional Record Volume 168, Number 78 (Tuesday, May 10, 2022)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E474-E475]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




HONORING NON-PROFITS AND NGO'S FOR PROVIDING CRITICAL INTERNATIONAL AID 
          TO FIGHT THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC THROUGHOUT THE WORLD

                                 ______
                                 

                        HON. RAJA KRISHNAMOORTHI

                              of illinois

                    in the house of representatives

                         Tuesday, May 10, 2022

  Mr. KRISHNAMOORTHI. Madam Speaker, as a proud co-founder of the 
Global Vaccine Caucus and member of the Special Select Committee on the 
Coronavirus Crisis, I wish to honor and celebrate the efforts of NGOs 
who have provided robust international aid and other forms of critical 
humanitarian assistance to combat the COVID-19 pandemic around the 
world.
  In our nation, rapid advances in vaccine technology and COVID-19 
treatment have turned the virus into a more manageable threat. But in 
countries throughout the world without equitable access to the benefits 
of these advancements, the economic, social, and public health 
ramifications of COVID-19 have remained troublingly prevalent; to date, 
over 6 million deaths resulting from COVID-19 have been reported to the 
World Health Organization across the world. Furthermore, COVID-19 
anywhere is a threat to people everywhere, and efforts to curb the 
spread of deadly variants abroad helps saves American lives here at 
home.
  In response to the spread of COVID-19, volunteer-based organizations 
and NGOs have stepped up in a meaningful way to address this crisis, 
bringing critical support to underserved communities facing untold 
suffering as a result of the pandemic. For example, according to PR 
Newswire, the organizations Sewa International, eGlobal Doctors, and 
American Association of Physicians of Indian Origin (AAPI) partnered to 
provide ``Medical advice for COVID-19 patients from India via 
telehealth,'' with the objective to ``keep patients with mild symptoms 
out of the ER and identify those who need to go to the hospital 
sooner,'' and to ``decrease the burden on hospitals to lower panic and 
decrease misinformation about the pandemic.'' Further, these 
organizations assisted countries like India, Bangladesh, Nepal, 
Pakistan, Guyana, Iraq, South Africa, Suriname, and Trinidad by sending 
oxygen concentrators and other necessary COVID supplies. These much-
needed humanitarian efforts served people of all races, colors, 
religions, genders, sexual orientations, and nationalities.
  Other organizations have invested in deploying people on the ground 
in foreign countries to strengthen education and outreach initiatives. 
As outlined in Borgen Magazine, following the initial outbreak of 
COVID-19 in 2020, the non-profit organization Doctors Without Borders 
``supported hospitals at the epicenter of the COVID-19 outbreak'' in 
Italy, and ``sent teams to educate populations [in Hong Kong] about the 
importance of preventing the spread of COVID-19.''
  These are just some examples of the tremendous work undertaken by 
non-profits and NGOs across the United States to expand access to 
healthcare and fight COVID-19 across the world. In totality, such 
organizations have raised millions of dollars for COVID-19 relief 
efforts, distributed hundreds of thousands of

[[Page E475]]

N95 and KN95 surgical masks, delivered hundreds of thousands of hot 
meals and food kits, established numerous non-medical help line centers 
across the United States, and conducted hundreds of webinars on health 
and visa issues to help people in dire need.
  Madam Speaker, while our battle with this virus is not yet finished, 
I want to recognize the exemplary efforts of these organizations for 
their heroic efforts. Their work to provide international aid to fight 
COVID-19 has demonstrated an unrivaled level of compassion and 
commitment to humanity that is saving lives, preserving economies, and 
strengthening public health and safety across the world.

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