World Health Organisation Director General, Dr. Tedros has praised the efforts taken by the Government of India and Prime Minister Narendra Modi for announcing a 24 billion dollars package to support country's vulnerable population during COVID-19 crisis.

During a media briefing on Wednesday, he said that Prime Minister Modi has announced a $24 billion package, including free food rations for 800 million disadvantaged people, cash transfers to 204 million poor women and free cooking gas for 80 million households for the next 3 months.

WHO DG said that many developing countries will struggle to implement social welfare programs of this nature adding that for those countries, debt relief is essential to enable them to take care of their people and avoid economic collapse. He also called upon the World Bank and the IMF towork for debt relief for developing countries.

Dr. Tedros said that he has called on governments to put in place social welfare measures to ensure vulnerable people have food and other life essentials during this crisis.