Unilever Ghana launches campaign to ‘help children reach five’

The company’s CSR initiative, called ‘Help a Child Reach 5’, aims to raise public awareness on the transformative potential of effective hand washing when it comes to health and mortality levels.

The campaign, according to a report by Ghana News Agency,​ was launched in Accra, and its primary focus is to reduce the current rate of mortality among under fives in  the country, largely attributed to cholera and diarrhoea.

It’s core activity was the education of figures involved in child care, particularly angled at caregivers, new mothers and health professionals.

Eradicate infant mortality​

Unilever’s exec in Ghana spoke of the ambitious aims of the CSR programme, noting that the company wants to contribute in efforts that seek to see the end of infant mortality due to inadequate hygiene.

“Through this social mission, we seek to help eradicate under five mortality by promoting basic hygiene behaviours among Ghanaians,​” said Ziobeieton Yeo, Managing Director of Unilever Ghana Ltd.

The campaign sets out to promote effective handwashing at five key moments in any given day:

• Before breakfast

• Before lunch

• Before dinner

• After toilet use

• During daily bathing sessions

This is directed at everyone, rather than at the children under five specifically. The premise being that raising the general level of hygiene on a national level as a collective responsibility will have an impact on the health and safety of the most vulnerable.

TIna Mensah, deputy minister of health in the country, was robust in her praise of the initiative. Speaking to Ghana news agency, the government minister noted that efforts made in this area so far are already seeing ‘great dividend’ in reducing mortality rates of young children.

Mensah reportedly said the government aims to work with Unilever in promoting its campaign and ensuring its reach.

It has been suggested that effective handwashing alone could reduce infant deaths by 25%.