Wash to live!

Every year 3.1 million children do not reach the age of five across the globe. It is a massive human tragedy that can be solved with a very simple intervention.

And that intervention is Soap! Who would have thought that soap can actually prevent deaths? Illnesses and deaths among new born children are caused by germs due to the fact that proper sanitation methods are not followed. Mothers washing their hands properly prevents the risk of infections amongst new borns. Only when you wash your hands with soap can you properly destroy the germs.

Marking Global Handwashing Day, the Ministry of Health and the Unilever Sri Lanka launched a ground breaking Neonatal health program, a behavior change program to encourage hand washing in the estate sector of the country. This behavioral change program is designed to reduce neonatal morbidity within vulnerable communities by encouraging mothers to adopt the habit of washing hands as a simple, effective, and affordable practice to prevent the risk of infections amongst newborns.

Solution

First Lady Shiranthi Rajapaksa, ceremoniously launched the program in the Eladuwa Estate in Dogangoda, Mathugama. This program aims to reach millions of Sri Lankan mothers, carrying the message of hand washing within the estate sector, to reduce the risk of newborns contracting preventable infections such as pneumonia and diarrhoea.

"Every year 3.1 million children do not reach the age of five across the globe. It is a massive human tragedy which can be solved with a very simple intervention. And that simple intervention is essentially keeping infections away with the simple act of washing hands with soap, two to three times a day at critical contact points.

That is the message that we at Unilever are committed to spreading. It is a very simple message, but it is a bold goal of reaching 1 billion people across the globe with this message of hand washing.

At Unilever Sri Lanka we have taken upon ourselves the mission of reaching eight million people by 2015.

With the partnership of the ministry, we announce the launch of the Neo natal program, whereby we would enable and work together with the government to enable children to reach the age of five across the globe and in Sri Lanka. This makes it a very historic day for us," said Siddharth Bannerjee, Country Marketing Director Unilever

MDGs

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Wash to live!