Global-PPE Donates Critical Personal Protective Equipment for Native Communities

Personal protective equipment (PPE) is critical in helping to reduce the spread of COVID-19 and Partnership With Native Americans is working with organizations to ensure they’re providing these supplies to Native American communities in the Northern Plains and Southwest.

Global PPE is providing PPE, medical supplies, equipment, and technology to underserved communities in the U.S. and is working to bring innovative solutions to industries most impacted by COVID-19. The company is committed to creating rapid and sustainable supplies and recently donated 10,000 KN95 masks to PWNA.

We spoke with Sanjay Puri, chief executive officer of Global PPE, to discuss more about their mission to help at-risk communities amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

Can you tell us about Global-PPE and how you’re addressing shortages of personal protective equipment in Native American communities during the coronavirus pandemic?

Global PPE was established to provide much needed medical supplies to underserved communities during COVID-19 and beyond. We work with quality, ethical suppliers and provide communities with reliable supplies in the face of broken production and supply chains and the most underserved communities being overlooked in the pandemic.

Why did Global-PPE decide to help Native Americans during the pandemic?

Our mission is to help those who are underserved, and Native Americans have been disproportionately impacted by COVID-19. Unfortunately, they were not getting the help they needed quickly enough, so we decided to step in and provide critical supplies.

Why did you choose PWNA to distribute your products to the reservations in need?

We wanted to make sure we worked with credible organizations that are making an immediate impact and PWNA is doing a lot of good work to help Native American communities year-round. PWNA felt like the right organization for Global-PPE to work with as they can make sure the people who need our products the most receive them.

Why do you feel the 10,000 masks donated to PWNA are perfect for Native Elders?

Native Americans on reservations have limited access to healthcare and lack the stores and resources to purchase these masks on their own. Yet, these masks can slow the spread of COVID-19 and provide the immediate protection Native Elders need to stay safe. 

Is there anything else you’d like to add?  The U.S. is one of the wealthiest countries in the world and it is unacceptable to see one of our most vulnerable communities so threatened by COVID-19 because of a lack of medical supplies. We all need to do our part to make sure that this does continue to happen.