USAID-supported SAMRIDH Initiative supports Clensta to improve access to affordable hygiene products across Tier 2 & 3 cities

New Delhi: The SAMRIDH Healthcare Blended Finance Facility, supported by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and implemented by IPE Global, has committed INR 1.5 Crore (USD 1,88,529) to Clensta to enhance access to affordable health and hygiene products in healthcare facilities and other touchpoints in tier 2 and 3 regions, and in vulnerable pockets of tier 1 cities.

According to the U.S. Centre for Disease Control and Prevention, nearly 1.7 million hospitalized patients annually acquire healthcare-associated infections (HCAIs) while being treated for other health issues. More than 98,000 of these patients (one in 17) die from HCAIs. These metrics are more pronounced in low-to-middle-income countries (LMIC), including India, with 1 in 10 infected in healthcare facilities. Moreover, in the low-resource settings of tier 2 and 3 cities, the threat of contamination in hospitals is often compounded by acute water shortages.

Clensta is an award-winning, Gurgaon-based start-up incubated at IIT Delhi, committed to exploring better ways to solve people’s everyday problems. Their novel waterless technology enables cleansing and disinfection of the entire body without water. Technologies, such as Prolonged Antiviral Protection (PAP), were developed to provide better protection against COVID and other microbial infections. These products assist with the cleanliness and hygiene of bedridden individuals or patients in ICU care without water, making their application ideal for low-resource settings.

The waterless solutions have been successfully deployed in hospital settings across India and to the Indian Armed Forces – Navy, Army, and CRPF. Clensta also manufactures a unique body lotion and long-lasting hand sanitizers that offer additional protection from viral contamination.

The partnership with SAMRIDH Healthcare Blended Finance Facility will enable Clensta to expand its sales force and strengthen the distribution channels to make its hygiene products available to over 2,100 nursing homes, clinics, pharmacies, hospitals and other touchpoints such as direct purchases by central government agencies and PSUs thereby reducing healthcare-acquired infections and democratizing the personal hygiene index across Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities in India.

Himanshu Sikka, Project Director, SAMRIDH and Chief Strategy and Diversification Officer, IPE Global, highlighted the importance of this partnership, and said, “At SAMRIDH, we are committed to support scale-up of innovations and market solutions to improve the health and well-being of vulnerable communities. Through our partnership with Clensta, we aim to reduce the risk factor of patients in tier 2 and 3 cities by enabling healthcare facilities to access affordable waterless hygiene and medicated products. Mainstreaming Clensta’s waterless technology can be a game changer in these locations where acute water shortages have been a long-standing challenge.”

In our mission to enhance access to innovative sustainable products for underserved communities, we are excited to support Clensta in making their products available in Tier 2 and 3 cities at affordable prices by establishing direct distribution channels. We are hopeful that the waterless technology innovation will be a game changer for maintaining hygiene standards at medical facilities in these locations with acute water shortages.”

During the COVID-19 pandemic, SAMRIDH Healthcare Blended Finance Facility supported healthcare enterprises and innovators across India by implementing market-based health solutions. It provides grants and facilitates debt financing to healthcare initiatives to support the scale-up of high-impact health solutions that can improve access to quality healthcare for vulnerable communities.

Speaking about the collaboration between Clensta and SAMRIDH, Puneet Gupta, Founder, Clensta said, “The purpose behind our healthcare portfolio: waterless and COVID protection products has always been a thoughtful one, to ensure we protect as many individuals as possible from the same challenges I have faced or seen people face in my journey. This collaboration will help us solve problems on a wider scale. The waterless portfolio will ensure that there are very low chances of hospital-acquired infections in vulnerable areas, thus taking us a step further to achieving a better world. The validation from supporting SAMRIDH also proves that our healthcare portfolio is truly innovative; this step is crucial as it will help us serve more and more people through other partnerships.”