19 February, 2018
Since 2014, P&G’s Children’s Safe Drinking Water (CSDW) Program distributed 18 million water purifier packets, complementing BRA key program of maternal-child health aimed at reducing hygiene and skin-related illnesses among 178,875 people living in highly vulnerable and impoverished rural communities of the Dominican Republic and border regions of Haiti.
SANTO DOMINGO, February 19, 2018. – In order to further reduce water-borne illnesses among pregnant and nursing women and children, the Batey Relief Alliance (BRA) will complement its maternal-child health program with the distribution of 4.5 million P&G’s Children’s Safe Drinking Water (CSDW) Purifier of Water packets aimed at reducing the high prevalence of water-related infections and skin irritations among 12,300 families living in Dominican Republic’s rural “batey” communities, Monte Plata province and Haiti’s border villages within the South-east Department commune of Anse-a-Pitres.
The P&G’s CSDW Program complements BRA’s Maternal-Child Health Program that delivers to children and their families comprehensive health (primary, dental, ophthalmology and HIV/AIDS) services with free medicines, antiretroviral therapy, nutrition, multivitamins and Antiparasitic drugs; and trains Community Health Promoters (CHPs) to conduct preventive health education workshops with the community around P&G water purification techniques, and water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH).
Emphasis is placed on care of children, pregnant women and people living with HIV who face an increased risk of illness. Mothers are taught best practices in hygiene for their young children and are encouraged to visit local medical clinics for full pre-natal and pediatric care. “The P&G Purifier of Water packets received an overwhelming positive response from the communities,” said Ulrick Gaillard, BRA’s CEO.
In it fourth year of implementation, BRA will mobilize 70 of its trained Community Health Promoters to educate families, school teachers and leaders about the prevention of illnesses related to drinking contaminated water through WASH and P&G’s CSDW Program. Since its inception in 2004, the P&G’s CSDW program had positive impacts on communities and families with a 53% diarrhea reduction rate among children. “We are pleased to partner with BRA who’s successful integration of the P&G Purifier of Water packets in these communities has helped to significantly reduce water-borne infections among children and those most vulnerable,” said Claude Zukowski, P&G Senior Manager, CSDW.
Through a Clinton Global Initiative (CGI) Commitment to Action, BRA/P&G’s CSDW aimed to distribute annually 45 million liters of clean drinking water through water purifier packets, creating daily supplies of water for impoverished families that are health at-risk of water-borne infections. Targeted families live in subpar living conditions, which often compound the effects of contaminated drinking water and make it harder to maintain good hygiene. Families are also helped with access to BRA-supported local clinics for quality health and HIV care, micronutrients for children and pregnant/nursing women, and food assistance through the USAID’s Food for Peace-Internal Food Relief Partnership Food Assistance Program.
In 2017, BRA and P&G expanded the program into Peru where thousands of children and their families live in unsanitary and impoverished conditions in Lima’s urban slums of El Agustino District.
