Handwashing and Hygiene

Proper handwashing is not only good personal hygiene; it is one of the single most effective ways to prevent the spread of disease and infection, according to health experts. Despite this, handwashing with soap is still not universally practiced. As a leading global manufacturer of bar and liquid hand soaps, Colgate recognizes its responsibility to communicate the importance of proper handwashing and has partnered with public health officials around the world in a variety of programs. The Company created a “Clean Hands, Good Health” global initiative in 2000 that has been endorsed by local Ministries of Health and Education. Since its inception, the program has touched more than 20 million children in more than 20 countries on five continents. It continues to expand.

In Puerto Rico, through educational messages and soap donations, the program played an active role with the Ministry of Health to help stem the spread of a local meningitis outbreak. In 2005 in Thailand, Colgate’s Protex antibacterial hand soap joined with the Ministry of Health as the sole sponsor of a countrywide, highly publicized “Clean Hands No Disease” program. To help raise awareness, Colgate distributed informational CDs to some 6,000 hospitals, set up interactive handwashing booths in stores, placed the program logo on stickers on all Protex packaging and distributed bookmarks, also with the logo. Much like Colgate’s “Bright Smiles, Bright Futures” educational dental hygiene program, “Clean Hands, Good Health,” aims to become part of school curricula around the world.

In other activities, Colgate also serves on the steering committee of the World Bank sponsored handwashing initiative, the Global Public Private Partnership to Promote Handwashing with Soap. This global partnership targets saving the lives of more than one million children each year through prevention of the leading killer of young children, diarrheal disease.