Begins 5-year sustainable partnership to provide improvements to critical healthcare facilities and WASH education to communities
RYE BROOK, N.Y.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Apr. 22, 2020– Xylem Watermark, the corporate social responsibility program of global water technology company Xylem Inc. (NYSE:XYL), today announced it is partnering with Americares, a health-focused relief and development organization, to combat the spread of COVID-19. The new global partnership will deliver much-needed personal protective equipment, water and sanitation infrastructure repairs and WASH education to frontline healthcare facilities around the world. Xylem Watermark is providing new funding to Americares, the majority of which is dedicated to the Americares COVID-19 response efforts. As the health-focused organization’s first water technology partner, Xylem Watermark will support sustained programming for the next five years.
“Communities all over the world are coming together to defeat COVID-19. This new funding for Americares is one part of our investment in our people, our customers and their communities who are working together in this fight that unites us all,” said Joe Vesey, senior vice president of Xylem, and chair of Xylem Watermark.
“We are seeing heroic efforts from essential services workers, healthcare workers and the organizations that support them. The support Americares provides to frontline health care workers focuses on exactly what they need to combat COVID-19, and we want to do our part to help them fight the spread of the disease.”
With Xylem Watermark’s support, Americares will deliver 50,000 protective supplies — such as masks, gloves, gowns and disinfectants to health care facilities in under-resourced communities in the U.S. and around the world, and train approximately 2,500 health workers. The trainings will focus on infection prevention and control, including water, sanitation and hygiene best practices to control the spread of COVID-19. Xylem employees will participate by volunteering remotely with the Americares emergency response team, developing a COVID-19 training module to help health workers halt the spread of the disease and prevent future outbreaks.
“Good hygiene practices, including proper handwashing, are some of our best defenses against COVID-19,” said Americares Chief Medical Officer Dr. Julie Varughese. “With support from Xylem we can improve hygiene practices now to slow the spread of COVID-19 and help prevent future outbreaks.”
Longer term, Americares and Xylem will partner on water and sanitation infrastructure improvements at select health facilities hard hit by the pandemic to respond to long-term water and sanitation issues and build resilience against future outbreaks.
Xylem Watermark’s support for Americares COVID-19 response is part of a broader, long-term commitment that aims to improve the health of low-income families around the world through improved education and infrastructure. Over the next five years, Xylem water and sanitation experts will work closely with the Americares technical experts to incorporate water and sanitation education and infrastructure improvements into disaster response activities and ongoing health programs. Xylem’s five-year partnership funding will also contribute to achieving the Company’s 2025 sustainability goals, including disaster-response commitments.
Financial terms of the partnership were not disclosed.
About Xylem
Xylem (XYL) is a leading global water technology company committed to developing innovative technology solutions to the world’s water challenges. The Company’s products and services move, treat, analyze, monitor and return water to the environment in public utility, industrial, residential and commercial building services settings. Xylem also provides a leading portfolio of smart metering, network technologies and advanced infrastructure analytics solutions for water, electric and gas utilities. The Company’s more than 16,000 employees bring broad applications expertise with a strong focus on identifying comprehensive, sustainable solutions. Headquartered in Rye Brook, New York, with 2019 revenue of $5.25 billion, Xylem does business in more than 150 countries through a number of market-leading product brands. For more information, please visit us at www.xylem.com.
About Xylem Watermark
Xylem Watermark, the company’s corporate citizenship program, was initiated in 2008, with a focus on protecting and providing safe water resources around the world and also educating people on water-related issues. The global initiative, which encompasses employee and stakeholder engagement, provides access to clean drinking water and sanitation, and humanitarian emergency response to help communities become more water-secure and sustainable through WASH and Value of Water Education programs. The program has logged over 180,000 employee volunteer hours over the past four years and engaged 58 percent of the company’s global employee base.
About Americares
Americares is a health-focused relief and development organization that saves lives and improves health for people affected by poverty or disaster. Each year, Americares reaches more than 90 countries, including the United States, with life-changing health programs, medicine and medical supplies. Americares is the world’s leading nonprofit provider of donated medicine and medical supplies. For more information, visit americares.org.
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Xylem
Houston Spencer +1 (914) 323-5723
Houston.Spencer@xyleminc.com
Americares
Donna Porstner +1 (203) 658-9579
dporstner@americares.org
Source: Xylem Inc.