USAID commits $100 million annually for 5 years

Experiences and innovations in India were proving incremental and are suited to be replicated in the sub-Saharan Africa and other developing nations, according to USAID, the US governmental agency engaged in grassroot developmental activities globally.

Underscoring this, USAID has decided to spend $100 million annually for the next five years in India, covering maternal and child healthcare, HIV, TB, food security, clean energy and environment, said Kathryn D Stevens, deputy mission director of USAID-India. "A major part of this was earmarked for carrying out the healthcare activities in rural areas in partnership with the Indian government," she said.

The agency was eyeing partnerships with non-governmental organisations, private institutions and innovators in India for providing clean water and sanitation in urban areas. It organised a symposium today here for bringing together industry and various NGOs.

It is engaged in Bihar, Rajasthan, UP, Uttarakhand, Odisha, Jharkhand, Chattisgarh and Madhya Pradesh for providing urban health programmes, which it initiated in 2009.

In agriculture, it was working with Indian firms for securing sustainable market-linkages for farmers in the east and northeast India.