Help India Breathe!
Since COVID-19 hit India, HW has been collaborating with several NGOs and communities across India to provide some relief to the communities most affected.
Amid the peak of the second COVID-19 wave, Help India Breathe! raised funds to deliver support for communities hit the hardest and suffering with lack of oxygen and food.
~ 70,000 CHF Raised!
17 concentrators and 100,000+meals reached and counting!
Our Mission
India is at this time the worst affected country in the world with the highest number of daily new cases (379’459 on 28.04.2021). H2O is a dedicated program initiated by HW to raise funds to help the communities in most distress and in dire need of oxygen and food.
Hospitals and other healthcare providers need oxygen to treat patients with COVID-19. However, there is a severe shortage of oxygen supply across India and doctors and nurses are helplessly watching patients die. Humane Warriors is raising funds to help procure and distribute oxygen cylinders and/or concentrators. Typically, healthcare facilities consume about 15% of oxygen supply, leaving the rest for industrial use. But amid India's second wave nearly 90% of the country's oxygen supply – 7’500 metric tonnes daily is needed. This is a need 3 times higher than the peak experienced during the first COVID wave in September 2020.
In the midst of the on-going pandemic, the government lockdown order and insufficient state provisions for food distribution, India's informal workforce of 450 million are sleeping hungry; in their homes, stranded at railway stations or state borders. With the help of local charities and communities Humane Warriors has supplied, since March 2020, over 165’000 meals and 15’000 ration kits to people in desperate need. We are multiplying our efforts at a time where daily new cases are over 3 times higher than during the peak of the first wave.
Let’s work together towards our mission – a future where no one sleeps hungry and has the required access to primary healthcare. In these unprecedented hour of crisis we need your support more than ever to save lives.
This is a 100% not-for-profit and charitable initiative, with proceeds going exclusively for the equipments and people in need.
How will your donations be used?
Dry food distribution
We will be providing a month's worth of food supplies to 300 families in the communities we have been working with. A basic grocery kit contains essential nutrients for a family of three (rice, flour, vegetables/ pulses, oil, tea), for two weeks, costs approximately 15 CHF.
Oxygen supply
With your donations, we plan to supply oxygen cylinders or concentrators to the critical patients who have low SpO2 levels. Our estimation is a cost of 35 CHF for two weeks of supply to a 4 people. 1 Oxygen concentrator costs 1225CHF. Our communities are in need of 500 at the moment.
Our motivation
India is currently reporting over 300,000 new cases per day. The onset of the second wave was sudden and quick, with number of newly reported cases per day rising from 15,510 on 1st March to 72,330 on 1st April to 314,835 on 22nd April.[1] These daily cases surpass the previous recorded highest cases per day of 300,310 in the US in January 2021.1 This number has risen to more than 360,000 new cases on 27th April.[2] Maharashtra is by far the worst hit state followed by Kerala, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu.1
The second wave has pushed the death toll in India to more than 200,000 deaths.[3] There are more than 3,000 deaths being reported per day.[4] The large number of cases has put a strain on the country’s medical facilities. There is a shortage of hospital beds as well as oxygen supplies. India’s second wave oxygen requirements have been estimated to be 5,000 tonnes/day, and although India as a whole produces 7,000 tonnes/day of oxygen, only a portion of it is supplied to health care.[5] The oxygen supply chain has not been able to keep up with the rapid increase in the number of cases.
This rise in the number of cases has also come amidst India’s intensive vaccination program. According to the WHO Situation update report on 28th April, 121 Million people have received their first dose of the vaccine, out of which 22 million have received their second dose.[6] India recently announced registrations for vaccines will be opened to all adults from May 1st.[7]However, there are warnings of vaccine shortages in most Indian states.7 Multiple countries have offered to send vaccines India to help fight the rising infections.