Godrej Consumer Products Limited is committed to eliminating malaria in India
Godrej Consumer Products Limited to launch a three year vector-borne disease prevention and control project on World Malaria Day
Mumbai : Malaria continues to be one of the most important public health issues confronting India today, with about 1.5 million new cases every year. While 95% of the population lives in malaria endemic areas, 80% of the cases occur among 20% of the population that live in tribal, hilly, and hard-to-reach areas of the country. Madhya Pradesh is heavily burdened by this problem; most of the cases in the state are reported from hilly and tribal districts, which are difficult to reach. In 2015, 97,200 cases were reported, of which approximately 39% were P. falciparum, the most dangerous form of malaria.
Godrej Consumer Products Limited (GCPL), an emerging markets FMCG leader, has initiated a vector-borne disease prevention and control project in Madhya Pradesh, in partnership with Family Health India, the local affiliate office of the international NGO, FHI 360. The three-year project will be piloted in high malaria burdened districts of Mandla and Dindori, home to large tribal populations living in hilly areas. The project will cover over 200 villages in the pilot, which will then be scaled up. The objective of this initiative is to reduce mortality caused by vector borne diseases, especially malaria, by 100 percent, and reduce associated morbidity, through Behaviour Change Communication and community mobilization.
The Godrej Group has always actively championed social responsibility. The Group has articulated its commitment towards building a more inclusive and greener India - Godrej Good & Green. By 2020, Godrej aspires to create a more employable Indian workforce, build a greener India, and innovate for 'good' and 'green' products — a ‘good’ product caters to customers at the bottom of the pyramid and a ‘green’ product is environmentally sustainable.
Speaking about the project, Vikas Goswami, Head - Good and Green, Godrej Industries Limited, said:
“Malaria is a major public health concern for the country today. While substantial progress has been made to reduce malaria’s impact, both globally and in India, the problem still persists. In line with India’s goal of being malaria-free by 2030, and End Malaria for Good - this year’s World Malaria Day theme, we are strengthening our commitment to eliminating malaria by creating awareness about the disease and driving associated behavior change, especially among the high-risk population groups.”
This vector-borne disease prevention and control project will empower communities with the right knowledge about malaria prevention and control, and provide them with adequate access to preventive products. In addition, the project will also strengthen linkages between private and public health sectors, thereby helping to monitor associated reductions in the burdens of malaria and other vector-borne diseases like dengue, chikungunya, kala-azar, and lymphatic filariasis.
Speaking about the project, Sunil Kataria, Business Head — India & SAARC, Godrej Consumer Products Limited, said:
“The fight against malaria is one of the most inspiring global health stories of our time. Godrej has been deeply invested in combating vector-borne diseases in India, both through product innovation and behavior change communication campaigns. Through this initiative, we will not only raise awareness about malaria prevention and control, but also ensure that preventive products and services are made accessible and affordable to the more vulnerable sections of our society. We are committed to the national goal of malaria elimination and strive towards building a safer, cleaner and healthier India.”
About Godrej Consumer Products Limited
Godrej Consumer Products Limited is the largest home-grown home and personal care company in India. We are constantly innovating to delight our consumers with more exciting, superior quality products at affordable prices.
We have bold ambitions and are becoming more agile and future ready. We rank number 1 in hair colour, household insecticides and liquid detergents and number 2 in soaps. In India, you grow up with our brands - Good knight, Cinthol, Godrej Expert, Godrej No. 1 - and we are now on our way to becoming an emerging markets FMCG leader.
In line with our 3X3 approach to international expansion, we are building a presence in 3 emerging markets (Asia, Africa, Latin America) across 3 categories (home care, personal wash, hair care). In 2010, we acquired the Indonesia based Megasari group, a leader in household insecticides, air fresheners and baby care. With the acquisition of Rapidol, Kinky and Frika in South Africa; the Darling Group, a leading pan-Africa hair care company; and Strength of Nature LLC, a leading company of hair care products for women of African descent, we have a strong presence in the fast growing African hair care market. We acquired the Issue and Argencos groups in Argentina, leaders in hair colour, in 2010, and expanded our footprint to Chile through the acquisition in Cosmetica Nacional. Our UK business acquired in 2005 has a play in hair and personal care. We also operate in the Middle East and have a strong presence across SAARC countries.
About Godrej Good & Green
As a Group, we have always actively championed social responsibility. We are exploring ways to further this commitment through 'shared value' initiatives that create both social and business benefits. We have articulated our commitment towards building a more inclusive and greener India - Godrej Good & Green. By 2020, we aspire to create a more employable Indian workforce, build a greener India, and innovate for 'good' and 'green' products — a ‘good’ product caters to customers at the bottom of the pyramid and a ‘green’ product is environmentally sustainable.