Yesterday Beanie Boy and I made our way to London with our friends Karin and Sam to attend this year’s blog event for the launch of the Pampers and Unicef Campaign to eliminate the threat of maternal and newborn tetanus (MNT) in developing countries. As part of our day we heard the stories of the mothers and children who the Pampers/Unicef team have met and ultimately saved. We had our photographs taken as part of the “Picture a better future” campaign and now we want to share this information with you. Today I want to tell you a bit about the campaign itself, in coming days I would like to share with you a few of their success stories.
Now in it’s 7th year, the drive is on again to fight this easily preventable disease with the “Picture a better future campaign”. For every specially marked pack of Pampers purchased or every Mum and Baby photo uploaded onto the Pampers Facebook page, Pampers will donate the cost of one tetanus vaccine to continue their support. This partnership has seen Pampers donate funds for 300 million vaccines which help to protect over 100 million (of child bearing age) and their babies. This has helped to eradicate MNT in 8 of the world’s developing countries:
Ghana, Myanmar, Uganda, Liberia, Senegal, Guinea Bisau, Timor Leste and Burkina Faso
However, there is still the risk to more than 130 million women and their newborns in these 33 countries;
Afghanistan, Angola, Cambodia, Cameroon, CAR, Chad, China, Cote D’Ivoire, DRC, Ethiopia, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, Guinea Conakry, Haiti, Indonesia, Iraq, Kenya, Laos, Madagascar, Mali, Mauritania, Niger, Nigeria, Pakistan, Papua New Guinea, Philippines, Sierra Leone, Somalia, Republic of the Sudan, Republic of South Sudan, Tanzania, Yemen, India
Many of the women in these countries do not have access to the clean, bright and sterile hospitals that we have here in the western world. They might have to walk miles, travel by boat or by foot to reach their nearest health worker when the time comes to give birth to their babies. MNT occurs when a newborn baby or their mother become infected during birth, often as the result of unhygienic birthing practices but receiving this all important vaccine can mean the difference between life and death. With your help Pampers and Unicef are able to save millions of lives.
There are many ways that you can help:
1 Photo = 1 Life-Saving Vaccine
Between 1st October – 31st December 2012 you can help Pampers® and UNICEF protect pregnant women and women of child-bearing age in the developing world against Maternal & Newborn Tetanus. For each parent and baby photo uploaded onto facebook.com/PampersUKIre, Pampers® will donate the cost of one tetanus vaccine to support UNICEF in the fight against MNT.
– OR –
1 Pack = 1 Live-Saving Vaccine
You can also help simply by buying a specially marked Pampers® UNICEF pack. For every pack purchased, Pampers® will donate the cost of one tetanus vaccine to support UNICEF in the fight against MNT.
– OR –
UNICEF Pledge Donations
All mums want their children to be secure, well nourished, educated and healthy. By reaching out, you’re helping children that need it most, but there are many more who are vulnerable and urgently in need. By becoming a monthly donor to UNICEF today you can join thousands of other mums who donate every month to improve the lives of these vulnerable children. Visit www.supportunicef.org/Pampers to see the difference that you can make.
David Bull, UNICEF UK Executive Director says, “Eliminating a disease in 8 countries is an amazing accomplishment and we couldn’t have done it without the support of Pampers® and mums across the world. The sad truth is that there are still approximately 130 million women and their future babies in the most remote areas of the world’s poorest countries at risk of MNT”
“The disease could be easily prevented by the administration of a simple vaccination programme. When you buy a specially marked pack of Pampers nappies or wipes, the cost of the vaccines provided really do make a difference. With your support, we can help protect the women and newborns that are at risk so they too can enjoy safety and protection from MNT.”
This is an absolutely great cause that Pampers is supporting, and it is truly wonderful! What inspired Pampers to support this particular cause, and not something else?
To be honest I wasn’t 100% sure of the answer so I asked them for you:
“Pampers is committed to the healthy and happy development of babies across the world. The fulfilment of this commitment ties into the successful development of suitable partnerships with organizations, both locally and globally, who share this commitment. UNICEF is the only United Nations (UN) organization dedicated exclusively to children. UNICEF works to build a world where the rights of every child are realized and established as enduring ethical principles and international standards of behaviour.
The UNICEF partnership has given Pampers the opportunity to do more than just sell nappies. By joining forces, Pampers and UNICEF are working together to make a difference in the world by contributing to the happiness and well-being of mothers and babies around the world.”
This is a great blog, and great corporate social responsibility program with regards to Pampers! How do you feel about being part of it? 🙂
I feel very honoured to be asked to take part 🙂