Consumer goods giant Unilever Bangladesh joined Business Call to Action in December 2018 with a commitment to educate an additional 5 million rural children on handwashing and tooth-brushing, ensure access to safe drinking water for over 1 million people, and ensure above minimum wage employment for thousands by 2021.

Around 20 million people, or 12 percent of the population, lack access to clean water in Bangladesh. As a result, they are at risk of contracting water-borne diseases such as cholera and other diarrhoeal illnesses, which can be prevented through good hygiene practices or by drinking potable water. Regular tooth-brushing with clean water also decreases the risk of dental diseases, particularly when started at a young age.

Unilever Bangladesh is helping to tackle this by complementing the sale of its health and hygiene products (soap, toothpaste, water purifiers) with mass education campaigns aimed to improve sanitary practices of millions of Bangladeshis. Unilever Bangladesh will educate consumers about the benefits and potential harmful consequences of their current habits. As the behaviour of consumers change, their standards of living will also improve.
 

Unilever Bangladesh has launched two mass education campaigns, each targeting a different health and hygiene practice. The first is the Lifebuoy “School-of-5” Rural Activation, which to date has reached over 30 million people all over Bangladesh. It teaches the importance of regular handwashing with soap among rural children to prevent diseases such as diarrhoea. Continuing this activity, Unilever aims to reach a further 5 million children by 2021. The complementary Pepsodent School Program, which has been running for over 15 years, encourages children to brush their teeth twice a day to prevent tooth decay and dental diseases.

Finally, through its Pureit campaign, Unilever will train waterpreneurs who will sell Pureit and make a commission on sales and maintenance services. The training  for the waterpreneurs will be free, and the commission structure means that with regular sales and maintenance, they can earn consistent incomes. These campaigns will have the dual benefit of improving lives while increasing awareness of Unilever’s products and thus driving sales. Unilever products are already present in 98 percent of Bangladeshi households.

About Unilever Bangladesh: Unilever Bangladesh’s vision is to make sustainable living commonplace. The Unilever Sustainable Living Plan will help the company to double the size of the business while reducing the environmental footprint and enhancing livelihoods. The company actively seeks out partnerships in order to help change things on a global scale, tackling global issues such as deforestation and climate change, improving access to water, and better sanitation and hygiene practices, and supporting sustainable agriculture and improving the livelihoods of smallholder farmers.