On Thursday, 22, the State Department of Health (SEM-AM) and the UNA + Fund, an initiative of the + Unidos Group to assist vulnerable communities in the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic, signed a cooperation agreement. . The agreement provides for the donation of four beds in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU / UCI) and 300 kits of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) that will be destined for municipalities in the interior of the state.

According to the health secretary, Marcellus Campêlo, the partnership will guarantee the strengthening of the actions already carried out by the Government of Amazonas, in serving the population of the interior of Tabatinga and Tefé, with two beds in each of the municipalities.

“It is the beginning of a journey with this association that will help us to mediate with American companies, mainly, actions to further strengthen health here in Amazonas”, he said.

The action is supported by PPA Solidariedade, an initiative of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), NPI Expand, Platform Partners for the Amazon (PPA) and SITAWI Finanças do Bem -, which highlights R $ 1.8 million through Grupo + United to meet the need for internalization of health services caused by the expansion of the new coronavirus to regions with limited access to health services.

“PPA Solidariedade seeks to bring together different representatives of the private sector to collaborate in the response to COVID-19 in the Amazon and, in this way, help communities in the territory to go through this delicate moment”, explains Augusto Corrêa, PPA Executive Secretary.

“The union of the public and private sectors is the best way to provide assistance to the most vulnerable populations at this critical moment. For this reason, joining SES-AM’s efforts with PPA Solidariedade is a job that will immediately benefit the populations of both municipalities and leave a legacy in the region ”, explains Daniel Grynberg, executive director of Grupo + Unidos, which also calls on the private sector to join the Fund.

About the UNA + Fund

The UNA + Support Fund is an initiative of the + Unidos Group initially developed with the support of Bank of America and the Caterpillar Foundation, the philanthropic arm of Caterpillar Inc. in Brazil. In order to mitigate the effects of the Covid-19 pandemic on vulnerable communities, the project has its own methodology for selecting populations at risk and develops customized solutions for each group. Donations are made through social organizations with consolidated operations in the region.

To date, the Fund has raised R $ 6.3 million from the private sector and equipped 19 ICU beds, distributed more than 70 thousand PPE’s and benefited 20 thousand people. The organization’s goal is to reach 10 million in donations and benefit up to 50 thousand people. Private companies interested in joining the initiative can contact the committee at https://maisunidos.org/unamais/.

About PPA Solidarity

USAID, NPI Expand, the Partners for the Amazon Platform (PPA) and SITAWI Finanças do Bem have teamed up to create a partnership to help combat COVID-19 in Brazil. The “PPA Solidarity: Response to COVID-19 in the Amazon is an initiative that engages the private sector in strategic partnerships to leverage innovative and scalable solutions to strengthen the rapid response to emergencies and combating COVID-19. The initiative will work with civil society and private sector partners in four lines of action: Mobilize communication campaigns on risks and community engagement in mitigation and protection measures to address COVID-19 and empower vulnerable communities and / or isolated to protect against exposure and transmission of COVID-19; Promote measures to prevent and control infections by COVID-19 in health facilities and communities; Support the local health system (hospitals, health posts and community health units / services) to respond and control COVID-19 through health and surveillance services; Support entrepreneurs, small social impact businesses and startups, producer groups and cooperatives with small financial contributions, business advisory services and access to low interest loans or microcredit.

About Grupo + Unidos

+ Unidos, a non-profit association, is a collaborative social investment fund created by the American Embassy, through the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). The Group, formed by large companies operating in Brazil, has been working since 2008 to train young Brazilians through the development of initiatives aimed at education and technological training, proposing a new way of thinking about the efforts in social responsibility that are carried out today in the parents.