Every 3 minutes a baby dies
Pampers and UNICEF launch campaign to protect babies’ lives from Tetanus
Every year, 500,000 cases of tetanus are registered worldwide. The disease claims the lives of approximately 140,000 young babies and 30,000 mothers every year, but the full extent of the death toll is uncertain as vast numbers of tetanus-related deaths go unreported in the developing world. The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) estimates that every three minutes, a newborn dies of tetanus.
Pampers, with its commitment to the health of babies and mothers, has joined hands with UNICEF in their fight to eliminate maternal and newborn tetanus. The global campaign, 1 Pack = 1 Vaccine, has already provided funding for 50 million vaccines since its inception in 2006.
Continuing their commitment towards helping eliminate maternal and newborn tetanus, Pampers and UNICEF will launch the 1 Large Pack = 1 Tetanus Vaccine campaign in the Gulf during the months of Shaban and Ramadan (August and September). The aim of this campaign to raise 4 million vaccines in the GCC.
Commenting on the aims of the initiative, Karim Kamel, Associate Marketing Director, Procter and Gamble, Babycare, Arabian Peninsula, stated, “At Pampers, we are committed to the health and well-being of every baby and the 1 Large Pack = 1 Tetanus Vaccine campaign gives us the opportunity to not only help, but protect lives, of those who are less fortunate who do not have access to such facilities. We are honoured to be partnering with UNICEF to help eliminate maternal and newborn tetanus through this incredible program, which will impact the lives of millions.”
Despite the seriousness of the disease, prevention is simple and possible with immunization.
Tarek Shayya, Chief of Fundraising & Partnerships, UNICEF, Gulf Area, said, “Maternal and newborn tetanus can be prevented through vaccinations, which help protect mothers and children against this life-threatening disease. At UNICEF we believe that every mother and child should have access to these vaccines, which have been available for 80 years. We are happy with the launch of the campaign in the Gulf and we look forward to building on the global success.”
Joining the efforts of Pampers and UNICEF, Nashwa Al Ruwaini, a television personality with 18 years of experience in the region and a celebrity in her own right, has officially endorsed the initiative and expressed her support.
Nashwa Al-Ruwaini is the host of Dubai TV’s “Nashwa” the longest airing talk show in the Middle East, reaching millions of people in the region. Nashwa entertains, educates and engages audiences from all over the Arab world about the important issues of the day from social problems, to gender inequities, to celebrity interviews.
Sharing her thoughts on the Pampers-UNICEF campaign, she said, “I am proud to be a part of the 1 Large Pack = 1 Tetanus Vaccine Campaign. This amazing campaign has protected thousands of lives all around the world. God says if you save one life, it is like you saved humanity. God commands us to seek ways to alleviate the suffering of people especially innocent children. We must raise awareness in the Arab world that a simple vaccine protects the lives of thousands of innocent children. I urge all people of compassion to join in supporting the 1 Large Pack = 1 Tetanus Vaccine Campaign.”
Most countries in the world provide vaccinations to every newborn child automatically. However, the prevalence of maternal and newborn tetanus continues to exist in least developed countries.
Tetanus is caused by bacteria, which enters the body through open wounds. The typical portrait of tetanus contracted during childbirth is a heartbreaking one. Poor hygiene and limited access to health services and vaccinations increase the risk of maternal tetanus, which, in extreme cases, can result in violent seizures, difficulty in breathing and death.
The disease is transmitted from mother to child when there is contact with broken skin, such as an infant’s umbilical cord. Babies born with tetanus may take three to 14 days to exhibit symptoms, after which irritability, failure to feed properly, convulsions and ultimately death by suffocation await for 70-percent of infected newborns.
The global Pampers-UNICEF initiative has already raised over 50 million vaccines since 2006. However, the prevalence of maternal and newborn tetanus is still a threat to the lives of women and their unborn children in least developed countries. With the 1 Large Pack = 1 Tetanus Vaccine campaign in the Gulf, Pampers and UNICEF aim to raise 4 million vaccines.
Uniting their efforts Pampers has already secured support from its retail partners, Othaim and Lulu, who will contribute towards the campaign. Othaim’s contribution to the campaign will be an extra two vaccines on all small packs and one vaccine on all large packs of Pampers. Lulu will be offering an extra vaccine on all large packs of Pampers on top of Pampers’ campaign, “1 Large Pack = 1 Tetanus Vaccine”.
© 2008 Al Bawaba (www.albawaba.com)
