Unilever are backing a major campaign in Uganda, and later Kenya, Tanzania, Senegal and Benin, to encourage hand washing - and the use of Lifebuoy soap. It states openly that it wants to make washing hands with soap a habit in order to sell more bars of its Lifebuoy soap. It is not being passed off as corporate social responsibility, which is a refreshing change.
Several organisations such as UNICEF, USAid, and the Gates Foundation, are involved in the campaign to encourage hand washing before eating and after going to the toilet. Although the amount of money being invested is tiny compared with other campaigns, it could be extremely cost-effective. According to the World Health Organisation, in Uganda alone, 140 out of 1000 children will die before the age of five, 17% from diarrhoea and 21% from pneumonia.
These organisations could conduct their campaign themselves but Unilever brings marketing skills, and more sophisticated ways of shaping behaviour beyond simple public health education. Unilever stands to gain by being seen to be in partnership with organisations such as UNICEF, and they are hoping that their Lifebuoy soap will be linked so closely with hygiene and health that people will be prepared to pay more for it than the basic soap already available.
Although I still feel uncomfortable about a multinational company being involved in this sort of thing, I'm not quite as concerned as with the Procter & Gamble campaign. Unilever are at least being perfectly open about it. Nevertheless, it remains the case that big business is attempting to manipulate people who can ill afford it to buy unnecessary products. Simply washing with ordinary soap would be an enormous step forward.
From the Financial Times Deutschland
Well, I suppose it's better than no campaign at all. Actually I think that this kind of campaign is needed even in the rest of the world, including Sweden.
ReplyDeleteI've noticed that people have stopped washing their hands - no wonder we got so many diseases spreading. People are not aware of it's importance obviously.
I once read an article about a research done at daycare centers in Finland that clearly showed that the percentage of sickness went down drastically among the kids and the staff since they let them wash their hands frequently and cleaned (desinfected) the tables, toys and such things.
Today we have a lot of strong bacterias spreading in the Swedish daycare centers and this method should be implemented there. I've never understood why the staff couldn't get that by themselves. It's rather self explaining.
I'm spreading another message today:
Bloggers Unite Act of Kindness Hugs for the lonely
pretty interesting
ReplyDeleteSA LONE PIKIN
As you say Captain Lifecruiser, it's better than no campaign. In the UK there are campaigns for handwashing in hospitals - even visitors. It remains to be seen if people pay attention.
ReplyDeleteThanks Kreativemix, yes it is interesting.