The End COVID For All campaign has endorsed Prime Minister Scott Morrison's announcement that Australia will provide ventilators and personal protective equipment to India as it battles through its COVID outbreak.
Campaign spokesman, Reverend Tim Costello said:
"COVID is visiting untold misery on the Indian people and it is important for Australia to step up with proportionate, targeted support where it's needed. Ventilators, oxygen concentrators, protective gowns, goggles and face shields are on their way to India. This will directly assist nurses, doctors and health workers to ease and prevent this awful outbreak.
"India is a nation with whom we have profound family, cultural and sporting ties. It is heartbreaking to see India battle this outbreak. This support from the Australian people is a good first step and I am confident the Prime Minister will make good on his promise to go further.
"The outbreak in India also shows just how vigilant we must be. COVID can easily mutate into new and more dangerous forms. And it can spread like wildfire. We must not forget that closer to home, Papua New Guinea and Timor-Leste are experiencing major surges, while Fiji is racing the clock to trace contacts and stem an outbreak.
"There is a compelling case to invest more to contain COVID among our near neighbours. In the upcoming Budget, we should pledge an additional $500 million in global vaccination efforts to end the pandemic and a further $1 billion to strengthen health systems in the Asia-Pacific.
"The longer this virus lingers, the more time it has to spread and mutate, taking lives and destroying livelihoods.
"Vaccines simply aren't being distributed equitably or fast enough. High income nations are being vaccinated 25 times faster than low income nations. We can and must do better."
