More than 60,000 children in India do not reach the age of five due to infections like diarrhoea and pneumonia. Independent research has shown that washing hands with soap at five critical times in a day can reduce the incidence of these infections significantly. The experience shows that children are in the best position to bring in this change among their respective families. The Company conducts hand washing awareness programmes in Anganwadi (pre- school centre) and schools. A pilot study was conduct in the gora village in the state of Madhya Pradesh where the incidence of diarrhoea deaths was very high. With the intervention of the hand washing awareness programme the incidence of diarrheal was reduced from 36% to 5%.

In partnership with Madhya Pradesh and Bihar Governments the company ran pilot projects and conducted school contact programmes.

Programmes Proposed: We will scale up the hand washing awareness programmes in Madhya Pradesh and Bihar in partnership with respective state governments and IGOs / NGOs in 2014. The modalities are being worked out.