Celebrities join ACT Grant's #TestingSavesLives initiative; destigmatise Covid-19 testing

Lately, the country has been witnessing a slowdown which is difficult to compute and even harder to comprehend. While the lockdown rules are ensuring that the spread of the coronavirus is restricted, the number of the ones affected is surging. Social distancing norms and regular sanitation measures have limited the spread, albeit, the fear of testing has decelerated the nation's pace in fighting the pandemic.

Bringing this to notice, Action COVID Team (ACT) Grants, a non-profit initiative is giving voicing to this need-of-the-hour message – breaking down the stigma attached to getting tested.

The ACT Grant is a multi-crore grant set up by India's top VCs and start-up community with a mission to seed and empower teams that are harnessing technology to create a large-scale impact in fighting Covid-19. Some of its members include Sequoia India, Matrix Partners, SAIF Partners, Lightspeed Ventures, Kalaari Capital, Accel, Chiratae Ventures, Omidyar Network and Nexus Partners along with several startup founders and leaders in the entrepreneurial space such as Mukesh Bansal, co-founder of CureFit, and Abhiraj Bhal, co-founder of Urban Company (formerly called UrbanClap).

To reach the masses, the grant has launched a public service campaign #TestingSavesLives. Through the campaign, the grant aims to educate the population about how getting tested is a smart and responsible move – not just for themselves but also their families, friends and anyone they come in contact with. This noble initiative of eradicating this common fear is backed by celebrities like Kunal Kapoor, Hrithik Roshan Rahul Dravid and Saif Ali Khan, who have come forward to show their support and helped in spreading the message.

In addition to the celebrities, the grant is leaving no stone unturned by also partnering with NGOs, industry veterans and the government to scale up solutions and accelerate the fight.

In a time when life has come to a standstill, it is important to take every necessary step. This initiative is one of the first initiatives to tackle not just the pandemic, but also the mindset on a mass scale, is commendable. With a robust intent to educate the public at large on the potential health benefits, the ACT is coming out as a harbinger in banishing the myths and offering the much-needed support. As a result, those who are hesitant in coming out will find solace knowing they are not alone in this fight and together we will come out victorious – like we always have.

(We got this information in a press release.)