Unilever to expand Lifebuoy-backed global handwashing campaign

Unilever has confirmed that it will be extending a health-oriented handwashing education programme to communities and villages across 17 countries globally.

The expansion of the Help a Child Reach 5 campaign, which is backed by its health soap brand Lifebuoy, was announced to mark Global Handwashing Day on October 15th 2013.

Launched earlier this year, the scheme has been publicly backed by the high-profile Indian actress Kajol and aims to end preventable deaths of children under the age of five by changing handwashing behaviours in underprivileged communities and villages.

Handwashing with soap is one of the most effective and affordable ways of preventing diseases such as pneumonia and diarrhoea, which are responsible for the deaths of two million children under five every year.

Samir Singh, global vice-president for the Lifebuoy brand, said: "In the past three years we have taught 130 million people healthy hand-washing habits for life and integrated this successfully into our business model."

Unilever chief Paul Polman addressed experts from across the public and private sectors on the importance of this project at a meeting organised by Lifebuoy during the 68th UN General Assembly in New York last month.