Friday, September 10, 2010

J&J launches 5-year aid program for women, children

Just before United Nation tries to encourage and push world leaders to achieve the Millennium Development Goals in the upcoming U.N. summit at Sept 20, Johnson & Johnson launched a five year aid program that could improve the health of about 120 million children and women in developing nations. The Millennium Development Goals are included but are not limited to dropping of severe poverty, reducing child death rate, and fighting diseases. These goals are agreed by all members of United Nation to reach by 2015. J&J is the multinational manufacturer of health care products that decided to help the goal in number of ways. This company soon began a program called Mobile Health for Mothers that will cover about one billion women with low income in countries like China, India, Mexico, Bangladesh, South Africa, and Nigeria. The company will send free health related text messages before each child born, and also send appointment reminders. The company will increase spending to win the battle against intestinal worms in children about four times than before. This great effort that will continue for five years also included educational attempt to protect children from getting reinfected and prevent mothers from passing along HIV to their kids. The company also works to stop HIV and AIDS and TB by providing funding for research that affected very large number of children and women in poor countries.
I personally have not seen similar action like what Johnson & Johnson did to invest on life of so many people in developing nations around the world. Corruption in governments is one of the main reasons that many people in developing countries live in extreme poverty. Many loans and grants that countries receive would not reach poor people. Companies could make difference if they help the community that they have factory on. Educating women and fighting the disease can reduce poverty and help to well being of all humanity.
http://alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/N08147862.htm

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