Hydro has allocated an additional 9,000 food baskets to people who are most affected by the Covid-19 pandemic. The action is part of the company's efforts to support and help communities in Pará, especially at this time of worsening pandemic.

The baskets are composed of food and hygienic products (such as liquid detergent, soap and bleach), which will be distributed in the municipalities of Paragominas, Moju and Abaetetuba by the authorities.

The initiative, which is inpartnership with the city halls, adds to other actions carried out since the beginning of the pandemic last year. In 2020, 36,000 basic food baskets were donated to seven locations where the company is present in Pará, in addition to the states of São Paulo and Santa Catarina.

“In this time of great challenges, it is important to come together to help those who need it most. For this reason, we continue our collective action with the objective of bringing basic items for everyday life, especially those that reinforce food and hygiene care for people in situations of vulnerability,” says Vice President of Government Relations at Hydro, Anderson Baranov.

Hydro has promoted efforts to prevent and combat Covid-19 in its units, in addition to mobilizing support for its employees, contractors and the communities surrounding its units.

A sum of BRL 20 million was invested in actions such as the purchase of medical and hospital equipment to structure health units; donation of over 100,000 items for hospital use to the municipalities of Barcarena and Paragominas, where the company has the largest operations in Brazil, and the donation of 10,000 quick kits for detecting the disease.

More recently, Hydro has partnered with the Federal University of Pará (UFPA), to support three research initiatives to help combat the pandemic. Altogether, Hydro will invest more than BRL 880,000 in the projects: studies of the psychological effects of social isolation to create programs that help promote people's well-being during and after the pandemic; use of data science for the elaboration of epidemiological models adhering to the reality of the municipalities of Barcarena and Paragominas, in Pará; and the development of low-cost respirators as emergency auxiliary equipment in intensive care centers.