SC Johnson Launches Global Awareness, Educational Initiatives to Combat Mosquito-borne Diseases that Plague Millions Each Year

RACINE, Wis., March 11, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Mosquito-borne diseases, such as dengue and malaria, affect millions of adults and children globally each year. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), the incidence of dengue has increased 30-fold in the past 50 years.* SC Johnson, the global leader in pest control, recognizes the need to address this threat and has expanded its commitment to disease prevention with programming efforts this year in India, Malaysia, Indonesia, Brazil, the Philippines, Mexico, Costa Rica and Vietnam.

Through a mix of grassroots education and powerful partnerships with local nongovernmental organizations (NGOs), SC Johnson teams have engaged local communities to help fight the spread of dengue and malaria by inspiring people to take action against the issue.

"SC Johnson is committed to disease prevention and to helping families fight dengue and malaria," said Kelly M. Semrau, Senior Vice President – Global Corporate Affairs, Communication & Sustainability for SC Johnson. "As a global citizen and expert in pest control products, we have a responsibility to play a key role in increasing awareness of these diseases in communities around the world and providing access to quality education resources."

"Fight Dengue for Your Family"
Several markets, including Indonesia, Malaysia and the Philippines, have enacted successful disease prevention campaigns over the past several years. In 2013, the company implemented a global campaign. "Fight Dengue for Your Family" is a global program that serves as a call-to-action, motivating families to take precautionary measures on disease prevention and to make a difference in the lives of children.

India, whose 2013 dengue rate was the highest it had been in six years, was the first country to implement the company's disease prevention program and reached nearly six billion people with awareness and prevention messages. Payal Samariya, a 12-year-old student who saw her friend suffer with dengue, served as the face and hero of the campaign. The program focused on dengue awareness efforts throughout India with the help of the Voluntary Health Association of India (VHAI), a non-profit organization that links more than 4,500 health and developmental organizations across the country.

"We are happy to be a part of this program, an awareness campaign in association with SC Johnson," said Ms. B. Mukhopadhyay, Executive Director, Voluntary Health Association of India. "Payal represents the millions of children and families in India who are susceptible to the dangers of mosquito-borne diseases."

A History of Disease Prevention
SC Johnson is committed to social responsibility, and its efforts to prevent insect-borne diseases span decades. The company places a strong focus on innovation and research, and it introduced two of its leading pest control brands, Raid® and OFF!®, in the 1950s. The company also opened the world's largest private, urban entomology research center in Racine, Wis. in 1968 and China's first entomology research center in Shanghai in 2013. At the centers, research and engineering professionals work diligently to develop pest control products that are effective, affordable and easy to use.

The company also recognizes the effectiveness of partnerships to help enforce action and is currently collaborating with the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation to sponsor several disease prevention projects. In Indonesia, researchers are conducting a study to determine the effect of spatial repellents in fighting mosquitoes infected by malaria. In addition, SC Johnson and Cornell University's Center for Sustainable Global Enterprise have developed a pilot program in Ghana that works to reduce the transmission of malaria by creating a new business model that brings repellents and insecticides to rural families. 

*Source: http://www.who.int/neglected_diseases/Dengue_day_asean_2013/en/index.html

About SC Johnson
SC Johnson is a family company dedicated to innovative, high-quality products, excellence in the workplace and a long-term commitment to the environment and the communities in which it operates. Based in the USA, the company is one of the world's leading manufacturers of household cleaning products and products for home storage, air care, pest control and shoe care. It markets such well-known brands as GLADE®, KIWI®, OFF!®, PLEDGE®, RAID®, SCRUBBING BUBBLES®, SHOUT®, WINDEX® and ZIPLOC® in the U.S. and beyond, with brands marketed outside the U.S. including AUTAN®, TANA®, BAMA®, BAYGON®, BRISE®, KABIKILLER®, KLEAR®, MR MUSCLE®, and RIDSECT®. The 128-year-old company, that generates $9 billion in sales, employs nearly 13,000 people globally and sells products in virtually every country around the world. www.scjohnson.com

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SOURCE SC Johnson