Medtech firm donates 20 million syringes to help fight polio

A medtech company has donated 20 million syringes valued at $1 million to be used for vaccinations within four Indian states 

Becton, Dickinson and Company (BD) donated the syringes to Rotary, a non-profit organisation dedicated to tackling humanitarian challenges, in support of the Global Polio Eradication Initiative.

With facilitation from Direct Relief the states of Maharashtra, West Bengal, Tamil Nadu and Haryana will receive the syringes— towards the goal of sustaining polio eradication in India, which was first achieved in 2014.

Gary Cohen, executive vice president of global health at BD and president of the BD Foundation, said: "Rotary has been one of the leaders in the global effort to eradicate polio for years, and with this donation, BD is linking back to the contribution the company made many years ago to the original polio eradication effort in the US."