Budiey
Petaling Jaya, April 1, 2014 – SC Johnson, the manufacturer of the No.1 brand of household insecticide in Malaysia (Nielsen data, Jan’14) recently contributed RM200,000 to the Ministry of Health Malaysia for dengue prevention initiatives at its Mission: Zero Dengue launch. The Minister of Health, Datuk Seri Dr. S. Subramaniam launched this initiative by SC Johnson that aims to help combat the distressing increase in dengue cases in Malaysia. The Ministry of Health Malaysia will be channeling all funds to Communication for Behavioral Impact (COMBI) that is actively working with various parties to minimise dengue cases in Malaysia.
Mission: Zero Dengue is an initiative that was conceptualised to drive high awareness and education on dengue prevention to individuals by encouraging and empowering them to take personal action, starting first from their own homes. With a concerted effort by families who strive to keep their homes Aedes free and doing the same in the community they live in, ultimately, the state and the nation would be able to work towards achieving Zero Dengue.
2,000 dengue kits were also presented to COMBI during the launch for their volunteers to distribute to the public during home visits. SC Johnson’s dengue kit will include an aerosol, a liquid vapouriser, a personal mosquito repellent, Tesco card voucher and an educational leaflet. SC Johnson partnered with Tesco Stores (M) Sdn Bhd (Tesco Malaysia) to give out the Tesco club card vouchers inside the dengue kit. This voucher is redeemable for 200 points each. Tesco employees, SC Johnson employees and the COMBI volunteers conducted ‘search and destroy’ activity by going house to house to spread the awareness in 500 homes on the day of the launch. To date, 21,967 dengue cases were reported from January to March 15, marking a 420 per cent increase when compared with the same period last year. All thirteen states registered an increase in the number of cases, with Selangor recording the highest increase of 536% (12,073 cases VS 2,252 cases last year).
Cristina Ronski, General Manager, S.C. Johnson & Sons (M) Sdn. Bhd. said, “As a leading household insecticide brand in Malaysia, our mission is work to assist the Ministry of Health in driving awareness and education to families. We hope to empower them to take personal action in dengue prevention, as it takes only one mosquito to spread the disease. We are unswerving in carrying out our role as a corporate citizen and are especially proud to partner the Ministry of Health Malaysia and Communication for Behavioral Impact (COMBI). Fighting dengue should be a collective effort among various parties.”
“Dengue fever has been a public health concern in our society and especially this year, the epidemic numbers are alarming. It is worrying that we are living in an area that is open to dengue infections yet many people are not mindful with the numerous warning signs or precautionary measures. Despite the many warning by the Ministry of Health, the public are lax about their surroundings and do not take the necessary precautions in ensuring their household and neighbouring areas are free of mosquito breeding grounds. I applaud SC Johnson for initiating this campaign and aiming high to reduce dengue related cases and deaths. This can only be achieved if everyone comes together and cooperates with the relevant authorities to fight this battle against dengue”, said Minister of Health, Datuk Seri Dr. S. Subramaniam.
As part of its on-going efforts, SC Johnson will continue its Road Rangers programme, an on-ground awareness effort that will engage the public via interactive games, whilst instilling information and insights on Aedes mosquitoes and tips to prevent dengue. The SC Johnson Road Rangers are targeting to reach 50, 000 people in one month. Mission: Zero Dengue is a long term campaign consisting series of activities aimed at penetrating to the wider community in Malaysia. The brand has been carrying out dengue awareness programmes for over a decade now and it will continue its efforts to educate, equip and empower Malaysians against this disease.Dengue is most common in urban areas and is also prevalent in rural areas and occurs all year round. As part of its effort to empower families to unite and conquer this battle with Aedes mosquitoes, SC Johnson advises families to take the basic protective steps such as using aerosol spray to kill adult mosquitoes and using repellents such as personal mosquito repellents or area repellents like liquid vapourisers for continuous protection.
About Dengue
Dengue is a mosquito-borne infection that is commonly found in tropical and sub-tropical regions around the world. Its symptoms range from a sudden onset of fever to a severe headache, muscle and joint pain, and rash. The Aedes mosquito, specifically the Aedes aegypti species, carries the virus that brings with it dengue fever. There are four different serotypes for the virus. It is transmitted to a human by a bite from the mosquito causing dengue fever. The severe manifestations of dengue fever will be the dengue haemorrhagic fever and dengue shock syndrome.
According to the World Health Organisation, there are four distinct, but closely related, viruses which cause dengue. Recovery from infection by one provides lifelong immunity against re-infection with that type only, but confers only partial and short-lived protection against subsequent infection by any of the other three types. The subsequent infection with different types of dengue will increases the risk of a more serious disease, which is known as dengue haemorrhagic fever.
Dengue haemorrhagic fever is a potentially deadly complication that is characterised by high fever, often with enlargement of the liver, and in severe cases circulatory failure. The illness often begins with a sudden rise in temperature accompanied by facial flush and other flu-like symptoms. The fever usually continues for two to seven days and can be as high as 41°C, possibly with convulsions and other complications.
About SC Johnson Malaysia
S.C. Johnson & Son (M) Sdn. Bhd. is based in Petaling Jaya, Selangor and has approximately 70 employees. Its parent company, SC Johnson is a family company dedicated to innovative, high-quality products, excellence in the workplace and a long-term commitment to the environment and the communities in which it operates. Based in the USA, the company is one of the world’s leading manufacturers of household cleaning products and products for home storage, air care and pest control. It markets such well-known brands as GLADE®, KIWI®, OFF!®, PLEDGE®, RAID®, SCRUBBING BUBBLES®, SHOUT®, WINDEX® and ZIPLOC® in the U.S. and beyond, with brands marketed outside the U.S. including AUTAN®, TANA®, BAMA®, BAYGON®, BRISE®, KABIKILLER®, KLEAR®, MR MUSCLE® and RIDSECT®. The 127-year-old company, that generates $9 billion in sales, employs nearly 13,000 people globally and sells products in virtually every country around the world. www.scjohnson.com
