P&G Pampers
A UNICEF corporate partner since 2006
Pampers’ support has helped UNICEF and partners
save nearly 1 million newborn lives.
Since 2006, through its “1 Pack = 1 Vaccine” campaign, Pampers has supported UNICEF’s Maternal and Neonatal Tetanus (MNT) Elimination Programme, a global campaign to protect the lives of mothers and babies from a preventable disease. MNT affects women and their babies in countries where women often give birth at home in sometimes unsanitary conditions. It is a silent killer as nearly 100 percent of the babies that suffer from neonatal tetanus without access to treatment facilities will die. It is, however, preventable through immunization and hygienic birth practices.
Pampers has successfully donated 300 million tetanus vaccines, helping to protect 100 million women and their babies around the world. In 2021, nearly one million newborn lives have been saved through the support of Pampers. The funding helps UNICEF to procure life-saving tetanus vaccines for countries in need so that pregnant women and their newborns are protected against tetanus through regular vaccination services and campaigns, especially in areas where access to health services and specifically delivery care represents logistic and costing challenges.
Maternal and Neonatal Tetanus (MNT)
In countries where women often give birth at home in sometimes unsanitary conditions, they and their newborn babies are at risk of contracting tetanus (tetanus spores can pass through the umbilical cord when cut, infecting both mother and baby). The disease rages through newborns within days of exposure to the bacteria and almost always leads to a quick death. With a series of low-cost tetanus vaccines, however, tetanus is preventable.
The complex journey of a vaccine
The vaccination process represents a long and complex journey that is only made possible by the many people who contribute to the process, starting with the procurement of vaccines. After which, the vaccines go from the manufacturer to countries, often traversing difficult terrain to reach the local villages where we rely on the support of a dedicated team of skilled workers and the local communities to help implement the programme. On a daily basis, they face logistical and cultural barriers that make it a hard task to reach and vaccinate those at risk.
However, in spite of these challenges, there have been significant reductions in deaths: from 215,000 babies in 1999 to approximately 25,000 in 2018. Today, MNT has been eliminated in 47 out of a total of 59 at-risk countries. Pampers’ support has helped to eliminate MNT in 26 countries around the world.
My daughter suffered from tetanus before she was even a month old. We went to different health centers and finally they referred us to the Gabriel Toure Hospital. After months of care and rehabilitation, Thanks God, she is doing very well today. I had two other children after her, I was vaccinated against tetanus and they are all doing well today. The tetanus vaccine is important and can save our children’s lives.
Last updated 7 July 2021