- For 11 years, amazing babies around the world have helped the Pampers- UNICEF partnership to eliminate Maternal and Newborn Tetanus in 19 countries, and 19 are left
- To date parents across Ireland have donated more than the cost of 22.5 million vaccines as part of this initiative
DUBLIN 7 OCT – Babies do the most amazing things, bringing their own special form of magical happiness to everyone around them! They can even help save lives by doing nothing more than wearing Pampers, because Pampers donates 1 vaccine against tetanus for every pack of Pampers sold through their “1 Pack = 1 Vaccine” campaign – helping UNICEF to eliminate Maternal & Newborn Tetanus (MNT) now in 19 countries. With 19 countries left, Pampers and UNICEF are now half way towards achieving the goal of eliminating MNT from the world.
Maternal and Newborn Tetanus (MNT) affects families in some of the poorest areas of the world and it occurs when newborns are infected as a direct result of unhygienic birthing practices, such as cutting the umbilical cord with un-sterile instruments. Once newborn tetanus has been contracted there is no real cure and, MNT still claims the lives of 49,000 newborns every year, which is equivalent to one baby’s life every 11 minutes.
Thanks to the support of families and their amazing babies, since the Pampers-UNICEF “1 pack=1 vaccine” campaign began, an estimated 500,000** newborn babies have been saved and a vaccine has reached a mother and her baby every second.
Today, celebrity mum and former Girls Aloud singer Kimberley Walsh is launching the Pampers-UNICEF ‘Amazing Babies’ campaign.
Kimberley Walsh said: “I feel hugely honoured to be supporting the Pampers-UNICEF campaign in its 11th year. As a mum to Bobby, and expecting my second child later this year, I feel great empathy with other mothers around the world who, just as I do, want nothing more than to deliver a happy, healthy baby. The reason I’m so passionate about this campaign is that mums and dads here in Ireland can make a very real difference by doing nothing more than buying the Pampers that they need for their little ones; 500,000 babies lives have been already saved from maternal and newborn tetanus! It’s phenomenal and makes me feel very proud of what we can achieve together.
Whilst great progress has been made, there are still babies in 19 countries around the world at risk from maternal and newborn tetanus. That’s why I am kick-starting the campaign today and asking all families and their amazing babies to join us in our ambition to eliminate MNT everywhere. By simply buying packs of Pampers with the UNICEF logo or by engaging with campaign content online, Irish parents can make a genuine difference and continue to support our wish to eliminate maternal and newborn tetanus everywhere.”
Peter Power, UNICEF Ireland Executive Director says: “Thanks to the support from Pampers and mums across Ireland, we have been able to make great strides over the past eleven years to protect millions of mums and their newborn babies from this disease, which is one of the most painful ways for a baby to die. Yet despite the fact that MNT is easily preventable with a vaccine, many women and their babies, often living in the poorest, hardest to reach communities in the world, are still at risk from contracting the disease. Together with the commitment from partners like Pampers and the support of mums across the world though, we can help change that and ensure that all mums, no matter where they live, can keep themselves and their precious newborn baby safe from this vicious disease.”
This year Indonesia and Niger join the list of countries where Pampers® funding has helped to eliminate MNT. However there are still 19 countries where the disease remains a threat. Through the continuation of their simple “1 pack=1 life-saving vaccine” campaign, Pampers’s funding is helping UNICEF eliminate MNT in all countries where it exists. This effort involves working with governments, and partnering with organizations working on the ground to expand access to this life saving vaccine.
How can we help?
The Pampers-UNICEF “1 pack = 1 life-saving vaccine” campaign starts today and parents can show their support in a number of easy ways:
• 1 pack= 1 life-saving vaccine: For each purchase of a Pampers® pack with the UNICEF logo
• 1 share of your baby photo = 1 life-saving vaccine: For each share of photo of your baby shared, Pampers® will donate the equivalent cost of one vaccine
• UNICEF Pledge Donations: By becoming a monthly donor to UNICEF Ireland today you can join thousands of other parents who donate every month to improve the lives of these vulnerable children
Join us and together with your wishes, Pampers® and UNICEF can help protect the world’s amazing babies against newborn tetanus. To find out more, visit facebook.com/PampersUKIre to find out more
ENDS
For further information, interviews or photography please contact:
Isobel Jones 01 6188444 / Isobel.jones@fleishmaneurope.com
Gill Madden 01 6188444 / Gill.madden@fleishmaneurope.com
For more information about UNICEF Ireland please contact: Aedín Donnelly / aedin@unicef.ie
Editor’s Notes
About Procter & Gamble (P&G) UK and Ireland
P&G serves consumers around the world with one of the strongest portfolios of trusted, quality, leadership brands, including Always®, Ambi Pur®, Ariel®, Fairy®, Febreze®, Gillette®, Head & Shoulders®, Lenor®, Olay®, Oral-B®, Pampers®, Pantene® and SK-II®. The P&G community includes operations in approximately 70 countries worldwide. Please visit www.pg.co.uk for the latest news and information about P&G and its brands in the UK & Ireland.
About UNICEF:
UNICEF promotes the rights and well-being of every child, in everything we do. Together with our partners, we work in 190 countries and territories to translate that commitment into practical action, focusing special effort on reaching the most vulnerable and excluded children, to the benefit of all children, everywhere. For more information, please visit www.unicef.ie.
Donations:
“1 Pack = 1 Life-Saving Vaccine”
For each Pampers® pack with the UNICEF logo purchased, Procter & Gamble supports UNICEF in the fight against newborn tetanus with €0.078. This amount equals for example the costs of one tetanus vaccine or supports its delivery. UNICEF does not endorse any brand or product. More information under www.pampers.com or www.unicef.org.
“1 view/share = 1 Life-Saving Vaccine”
For each video viewed or shared, Procter & Gamble supports UNICEF in the fight against newborn tetanus with €0.078. This amount equals for example the costs of one tetanus vaccine or supports its delivery. For example, just two vaccinations will protect mother and child against tetanus during delivery and at birth. Mothers will be protected against tetanus for at least the next 3 years and newborns for first 2 months of life. UNICEF does not endorse any brand or product. More information under www.pampers.com or www.unicef.ie.
UNICEF Pledge Donations
All parents want their children to be secure, well nourished, educated and healthy. Through your support, 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 Ireland today you can join thousands of other parents who donate every month to improve the lives of these vulnerable children.
Visit www.unicef.ie/partner/pampers to see the difference that you can make.
