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COVID-19 test kits supported by PepsiCo India arrive at sites across India

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  • PepsiCo India is supporting FIND to procure and distribute the first batch of COVID-19 test kits across the country
  • FIND is working closely with the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Government of India, to plan the procurement and distribution of the test kits
  • Overall, PepsiCo India has committed to extending its support to healthcare and diagnostic facilities by providing 25,000 COVID-19 test kits through FIND

New Delhi, India – 5 May, 2020 – The Foundation for Innovative New Diagnostics (FIND) announced today the arrival of the first batch of test kits supported by PepsiCo India to Government of India (GoI) testing sites across the country. These kits are being procured and distributed by FIND with funding from PepsiCo India.

FIND is a long-standing partner of the National Tuberculosis (TB) Elimination Programme (NTEP) (formerly known as the Revised National Tuberculosis Control Programme, or RNTCP) of the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW), GoI, and has helped introduce new, rapid, quality-assured tests for TB at affordable prices for the public health sector. Building on this partnership, FIND is now working closely with the MoHFW to support the national COVID-19 diagnostics response, and with the World Health Organization (WHO) to accelerate development and access to diagnostics as part of the global response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

In response to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s call to the nation to help tackle the COVID-19 outbreak, PepsiCo India has come forward to support the scale up of India’s COVID-19 testing capacity through support provided to FIND, as well as other initiatives that include providing over 7 million meals to families impacted by COVID-19 outbreak in partnership with non-government organization (NGO) partners.

In collaboration with the country’s public and private laboratory network (approved by the Indian Council of Medical Research, ICMR), FIND has selected five GoI laboratories and one laboratory run by a partner NGO called YRG Care, based on urgent test kit requirement and the need for scale-up of COVID-19 testing. The laboratories identified across the country are set to receive these kits, along with RNA extraction supplies. PepsiCo India, has committed to extending its support to healthcare and diagnostic facilities by providing 25,000 COVID-19 test kits to FIND.

The test kits and reagents have been procured from Drug Controller General of India (DCGI)-approved manufacturers and are run using reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) technology, which is currently the gold standard for detecting patients with COVID-19.

The COVID-19 pandemic has emerged as one of the largest threats to global public health seen in generations. Testing is critical to “flattening the curve” and preventing health systems from becoming overwhelmed. As of today, India has conducted a total of 1,191,946 tests for the disease.[1]

Ahmed ElSheikh, President, PepsiCo India, said “PepsiCo India stands committed to lending its full support to the GoI in its fight against the pandemic. Our partnership with FIND is all about scaling up access to diagnostics and testing kits across the country. During these challenging times, we have been working very closely with FIND to distribute testing kits to public and private healthcare laboratories in India. We believe lending assistance through such initiatives is also one of the best ways to support our real heroes – the healthcare community who are battling on the front lines against COVID-19.”

“Testing is our first-line of defence against this pandemic – and it is actionable today,” said Sanjay Sarin, Head of FIND India. “The sheer size of India and the density of our urban populations increases the challenges and complexity of scaling up testing capacity quickly and efficiently. The ICMR and MoHFW are committed to making COVID-19 tests available to everyone who needs one, and private sector partnerships such as this one with PepsiCo India are critical to help make this a reality as quickly as possible.”

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[1] Data from ICMR homepage, as at 5 May 2020: www.icmr.gov.in

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About FIND
FIND is a global non-profit organization that drives innovation in the development and delivery of diagnostics to combat major diseases affecting the world’s poorest populations. Our work bridges R&D to access, overcoming scientific barriers to technology development; generating evidence for regulators and policy-makers; addressing market failures; and enabling accelerated uptake and access to diagnostics in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). Since 2003, we have been instrumental in the development of 24 new diagnostic tools used in 150 LMICs. Over 50 million FIND-supported products have been provided to our target markets since the start of 2015. A WHO Collaborating Centre, we work with more than 200 academic, industry, governmental, and civil society partners worldwide, on over 70 active projects that cross six priority disease areas. FIND is committed to a future in which diagnostics underpin treatment decisions and provide the foundation for disease surveillance, control and prevention.  

About PepsiCo India
PepsiCo entered India in 1989 and has grown to become one of the largest MNC food and beverage businesses in India. PepsiCo India’s diverse portfolio includes iconic brands like Pepsi, Lay’s, Kurkure, Tropicana 100%, Gatorade and Quaker. Guiding PepsiCo is our vision to Be the Global Leader in Convenient Foods and Beverages by Winning with Purpose. “Winning with Purpose” reflects our ambition to win sustainably in the marketplace and embed purpose into all aspects of the business. We believe that continuously improving the products we sell, operating responsibly to protect our planet and empowering people around the world is what enables PepsiCo to run a successful global company that creates long-term value for society and our shareholders. In 2009, PepsiCo India achieved a significant milestone, by becoming the first business to achieve ‘Positive Water Balance’ in the beverage world, a fact verified by Deloitte Touché Tohmatsu India Pvt. Ltd. The company has been Water Positive since then. For more information, please visit www.pepsicoindia.co.in

Media contacts
FIND: Sarah-Jane Loveday, Head of Communications, FIND
T: +41 (0) 22 710 27 88
M: +41 (0) 79 431 62 44
media@finddx.org

PepsiCo India: Amit Nanchahal, Head Communications
Food & Sustainability
M: +918130463737
amit.nanchahal@pepsico.com