RACINE, Wisconsin
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April 25, 2023
(press release)
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SC Johnson and Raid® have partnered with Society for Family Health Rwanda and the Rwanda Ministry of Health to provide official certification and livable wages to unofficial community health workers in Rwanda as part of ongoing commitment to eradicate malaria Malaria is the seventh leading cause of death in Rwanda*, and an unexpected frontline of defense has emerged working to protect families and communities – it's tens of thousands of local community members, oftentimes the majority being women. The work these caregivers take on has a dramatic impact on their communities, but often at the expense of their own economic growth. As they spend days, weeks and months caring for their communities, it becomes nearly impossible to secure consistent work to support their families. Certified Care Hits an Important Milestone in the Fight to Eradicate Malaria Women Behind the Effort: Community Health Worker Stories SC Johnson's History of Supporting Malaria Eradication For decades, SC Johnson has been using its expertise and capabilities to make contributions toward eradicating malaria and helping make life healthier and better for families. For more information on the SC Johnson/Raid® Certified Care program, please visit here. About Raid® Raid® is on a mission is to provide Protection for Everyone – this involves helping protect families from pests and the diseases they may carry. That's why Raid® has dedicated decades of research and refined products to reduce the potential threat of household pests and help everyone live their lives unconstrained. Whether it's day or night, indoors or outside, study time or playtime, Raid® helps protect families from pests that may carry diseases, so that everyone can live to their fullest potential. For over 60 years, SC Johnson has been conducting research in insect science through one of the world's largest privately owned urban entomology centers. Raid® is committed to research and innovation to create products that help protect families around the world. Learn more at Raid.com. About SC Johnson Founded in 1886 and headquartered in Racine, Wisconsin USA, SC Johnson believes that a more sustainable, healthier and transparent world that inspires people and creates opportunities isn't just possible – it's our responsibility. A heritage of innovation and bold, transparent decisions is why our high-quality products and iconic brands – including OFF!® Raid®, Glade®, Windex®, Scrubbing Bubbles®, Ziploc®, Mrs. Meyer’s Clean Day®, method®, Autan®, Baygon®, Mr Muscle®, Duck®, Lysoform® and more – are in homes, schools and businesses in virtually every country worldwide. As a global, purpose-led company, we are committed to making the world a better place today and for future generations. That means relentlessly bringing our expertise in science, innovation and partnerships to bear on some of the world's most pressing environmental and health issues like reducing plastic waste and eradicating malaria. Around the world, we use our resources to unlock greater economic and educational opportunities for people and communities where access may be limited, but curiosity and potential are limitless.
SC Johnson, along with one of its leading insect control brand teams, Raid®, saw the paradox surrounding unofficial female community health workers in the region and partnered with the Society for Family Health Rwanda to create a Certified Care program. Certified Care is an educational program that trains and empowers women to become officially certified Community Health Workers – the front-line defense of detecting and treating malaria at a community level – and provides them with the ability to earn a living wage for something they've spent a lifetime doing for free: Care. By becoming certified Community Health Workers through Certified Care, women who have historically had to miss work to treat community members with malaria for free now have the ability to be hired for paying healthcare jobs in the region and earn an income for their work, allowing poverty cycles to be broken and careers to flourish.
"Through the extensive time SC Johnson teams have spent in the region, living and working alongside Rwandan caregivers, it was clear to us that the caregivers deserved to be recognized for their service to the community and enabled with more resources," said Fisk Johnson, Chairman and CEO of SC Johnson. "These women perform lifesaving work every day, and as we look to expand Certified Care, it's our hope that this program, developed out of a committed partnership between SC Johnson and Society for Family Health Rwanda, can create an example for other governments and partners to scale and help make a truly lasting impact across the world."
Today, on World Malaria Day, SC Johnson, alongside Raid® and Society for Family Health Rwanda, celebrates the official certification of 10,000 Community Health Workers through Certified Care to help in the fight to eradicate malaria in Rwanda and provide them with official, paying positions. Through the Certified Care program, Community Health Workers gain skills and knowledge in diagnosis and treatment across a variety of illnesses and diseases, care for their communities and build a career for the future.
"Working with SC Johnson and its Raid® brand team to create this program highlights an often-overlooked side effect of the malaria epidemic and further provides equity to women who are disproportionally affected," said Manasseh Gihana Wandera, Executive Director of Society for Family Health Rwanda. "These Community Health Workers know what needs to be done to help their communities as most have been doing this all their lives. Their contributions deserve to be recognized, and this certification allows for that to happen. They are heroes of their communities."
In addition to over 10,000 people being certified through Certified Care since 2017, SC Johnson's partnership with Society for Family Health Rwanda and the Rwanda Ministry of Health has led to the construction of nearly 70 health clinics across Rwanda, which help address malaria along with other public health issues including HIV/AIDS, family planning, nutrition and access to clean water. Currently, Community Health Workers treat 55% of all malaria cases in Rwanda.
"In the past, when one of my family members had malaria, I would have to skip work to tend to them," said Olive Mukandayisenga, a Community Health Worker certified through the SC Johnson/Raid® Certified Care program. "Becoming certified for the work I've been doing and earning a livable wage now means I can maintain my family's farm and keep my family happy and healthy, all while protecting myself and my future."
SC Johnson teams work with non-governmental organizations (NGOs) worldwide to help educate communities on how to avoid mosquito bites and prevent disease transmission.
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