JEDDAH – Unilever, one of the world's leading FMCG companies and owner of global brands such as Dove and Lifebuoy, has announced the results of its 2012 national health and hygiene initiative. The initiative has reached and engaged with 1,105,000 consumers across schools, restaurants, malls, wedding halls and hospitals in Saudi Arabia. The Unilever campaign has scored an unprecedented impact through its reach which is considered the largest of its type. The health and hygiene program started in early 2010 in line with Unilever's philosophy of doing well by doing good. In the same year, the company launched Unilever Sustainable Living Plan that aims at enhancing the health and wellbeing of one billion people around the world by 2020. “For over 110 years, Unilever has been committed to improving the health, hygiene and wellness standards of its consumers. Children are early adopters of habits and also act as agents of change within their community. Our program therefore targets families, mainly children, with the aim of fostering positive habits and making it a part of their daily routine. We aim at reaching, engaging and inspiring 1,000,000 consumers in Saudi Arabia by 2013,” said Yasser Joharji, Managing Director, Unilever KSA. The importance of the initiative lies in the fact that research has shown that 4 percent of school children in the Kingdom have missed 8 to 10 days of school due to hygiene related illnesses. The simple act of washing hands with soap at key points of the day, like after going to the bathroom and before eating food can reduce the incidence of diarrhea rates among children by almost 50 percent and respiratory infections by nearly 25 percent. Unilever's brand, Lifebuoy, have adopted an edutainment approach to assist in delivering a strong and clear message to all young students. The activities promote the significance of washing hands and conserving water. They include a scrapbook creation competition, coloring handbooks, engaging performances by Lifebuoy mascot, in addition to conducting a glow germ test that helps to visibly demonstrate the importance of using soap to kill harmful germs. On a North Africa and Middle East level, Unilever has reached 4,000,000 consumers through its health & hygiene initiative in 2012. – SG
