Health Awareness
Facing the major challenge of communicating to consumers across Bangladesh, our health brands Lifebouy and Pepsodent initiated health awareness campaigns that have brought the message of healthy living to millions of people.
Promoting hygiene awareness
Bangladesh has a population of over 142 million and 80% of this population live in rural areas. Although there has been a lot of social progress and economic development in these areas since the country’s independence in 1971, there remains a general ignorance about the importance of hygiene.
Campaigns
Facing the major challenge of communicating to consumers across Bangladesh, our health brands Lifebouy and Pepsodent initiated separate health awareness campaigns. Lifebouy concentrating on all rural communities has a team of trained personnel to visit neighbourhoods, market places, schools etc and communicate the importance of a healthy lifestyle through flipcharts and leaflets. This is then followed by demostrating the use of Lifebouy soaps – which have been made available in small packs for people of all income groups.
Oral hygiene
The Pepsodent team concentrates on schools across the country and suburban localities to promote oral hygiene. Initiatives like the Dental Support Program and Dental Health Awareness Week, both of which have been quantum leaps in developing good oral hygiene practices.
The Dental Support Program is a mammoth community exercise that encompasses both direct and indirect dissemination of the need and importance of oral hygiene. Not only does a qualified dentist visit schools to educate school children; the Program reaches out to countless others indirectly by training primary and secondary school teachers. Furthermore, Unilever Bangladesh reached out to educate imams at mosques on dental hygiene, so that they can disseminate the message to their congregations. More than 3 million school children have been covered through this Program and Unilever is committed to continue providing this service to the community.
Pepsodent - Bangladesh Dental Society Oral Health Day
Unilever Bangladesh and Bangladesh Dental Society (BDS) have been working together for over a decade to promote oral health of Bangladeshi people. One of the major activities that is carried out in partnership is the Pepsodent - Bangladesh Dental Society Oral Health Day. In 2007, the day was organized on November 16. People called in for appointment at a stipulated time to have his or her teeth checked by dental professionals. 300 dentists at 257 clinics in 64 districts gave free dental check-up to 12,500 people. Unilever setup temporary dental facilities in districts where there were no clinics available.The Day provided people with an opportunity to be aware of the condition of their teeth and also promoted general awareness of oral hygiene.
Dentist on wheels
Pepsodent Dentibus – a mobile dental care unit complete with basic dental treatments and specialised dentists are going around the country with free checkups and advice. The Dentibus travels to 2 schools a day to create dental health awareness along with providing free checkups to students. More than 1000 children per day thus come to know about better dental hygiene through this program. Besides this, the bus also visits various neighborhoods where a lot of excitement is created around the free checkups.
Creating a better life
Together, Lifebouy and Pepsodent have been instrumental in bringing the message of a better lifestyle, free from germs and associated trauma, to millions of people across Bangladesh.
