Reckitt Benckiser (RB) and Save the Children have jointly unveiled a new global focus to their existing partnership, with an initial funding of $35.5 million to prevent fatality in children under five from diarrhoea by 2020. Since the partnership began in 2003, RB has helped Save the Children reach over one million children.

Under the ‘Healthier kids, Happier homes’ global partnership will combine RB’s global expertise in hygiene and health, innovative technology and consumer communication capabilities with Save the Children.

Globally, diarrhoea remains the second leading cause of death from a preventable disease among children under five, behind pneumonia. Nearly one in ten child deaths, approximately 800,000 each year is due to diarrhoea caused by poor home environments, inadequate personal hygiene and lack of access to essential services such as healthcare, sanitation, clean water and basic nutrition.

RB’s innovative technology will play an important role in helping to reduce the number of cases of diarrhoea in under-fives. By developing new, innovative products, for example a low cost ‘de-germer’, RB aims to support mass reach hand-hygiene campaigns and create safer home environments for babies and children, helping families to live healthier and happier lives.

Furthermore, these products could help increase the efficacy of family health kits and clean delivery newborn kits, while new enzyme technology could boost the efficacy of household water treatment and safe storage systems. In addition to providing expertise, RB are committing to a multi-million pound investment to achieve its vision by 2020, and involving its 36,000 employees around the world in the initiative.

In the last decade, significant progress has been made around the world in reducing the number of children dying from preventable illnesses. Despite these efforts, today only 39 per cent of children with diarrhoea in developing countries receive the vital recommended treatment.

“We want to make a difference by providing innovative solutions for healthier lives and happier homes. Our partnership with Save the Children will go some way to creating lasting improvements in the health and hygiene of vulnerable children and families globally. Together, we want to help stop diarrhoea being one of the biggest causes of death in children,” stated Rakesh Kapoor, CEO, Reckitt Benckiser.

“At an unacceptable rate, children in the developing world are succumbing from completely preventable diseases, like diarrhoea. We have already made dramatic progress in reducing the number of children dying, but there is still much more that needs to be done. Through this exciting partnership with Reckitt Benckiser, we can combine our skills and transform the lives of thousands of the world’s most vulnerable children,” said Justin Forsyth, chief executive, Save the Children.