Unilever Indonesia Tbk PT : Wipol “Aksi Anti Kuman” Helps Jakarta Society Face Disease Threats in the Rainy Season

30/01/2015

PT Unilever Indonesia Tbk. is continuing its "Aksi Anti Kuman'(AAK)" through its Wipol brand in cooperation with the DKI Jakarta Health Agency and environmental community Bersih Nyok!.

Jakarta, January 30th, 2015 - PT Unilever Indonesia Tbk. is continuing its "Aksi Anti Kuman'(AAK)" through its Wipol brand in cooperation with the DKI Jakarta Health Agency and environmental community Bersih Nyok!. This campaign aims to prepare people to anticipate the dangers of diseases caused by germs that often spread in the rainy season. In its third year, Wipol is also using social media to expand its educational efforts to ensure that health and hygiene are maintained through germ-free homes.

Teguh Hadisaputra, Brand Manager, Home Care PT. Unilever Indonesia, Tbk., said, "This year's AAK campaign is a continuation of Wipol's commitment to create clean, hygienic and germ-free home environments. Nowadays, a lot of people still haven't realized health threats may arise because of germs and bacteria, which increase in the rainy season. Wipol believes that people need to be educated and that appropriate measures need to be taken to prevent the spread of bacteria and viruses that cause disease outbreaks. Cleanliness and hygiene in all homes must be maintained even more during the rainy season."

In Jakarta, high intensity rains cause floods in many areas. Aside from material losses, the threat of infectious diseases also prevails after the floodwaters have receded due to the remaining water puddles. Dr. Koesmedi Priharto, SpOT, M.Kes - the Head of the DKI Jakarta Health Agency, explains, "During the rainy season, moist conditions cause the growth of germs and bacteria to accelerate. They spread very easily: people who have stepped into puddles carry them into their houses on their shoes. In addition, dirt trails of animals and many other sources cause bacteria to enter the homes. As a result, we must anticipate health threats like diarrhea, dengue fever, chikunguya, leptospirosis, acute respiratory Infections and skin diseases."

According to data from the DKI Jakarta Health Agency, there were 101 leptospirosis cases during the height of the floods in 2014 (January - March 2014), with most cases occurring in February. A similar pattern was found in diarrhea patients - 53,698 in total - who went to public health facilities during the rainy season. This was 33% of the total number of patients in 2014. Therefore, necessary education and action are needed to prevent the spread of epidemics.

"The risk of spreading diseases can be anticipated by adapting clean and healthy lifestyle behaviors (PHBS - Perilaku Hidup Bersih dan Sehat), which focus on the "preventing is better than curing" philosophy. PHBS can be achieved by using clean water, washing hands with soap and flowing water, disposing waste in the right way and eradicating mosquito larva. The environment inside the house must also be kept clean as well as the floors of the refugee camps during the floods," added Dr. Koesmedi.

The Wipol AAK campaign is fully supported by the Bersih Nyok! Community, which consistently promotes positive messages that support the maintenance of healthy, hygienic and germ-free homes. Dr. Amaranila Lalita Drijono, SpKK, the initiator of komunitas Bersih Nyok! stated, "It is our responsibility as members of society to increase awareness of the importance of keeping the surrounding environment - especially our homes - clean. For this reason, during the rainy season like now, the application of PHBS by people from all walks of life will contribute to creating a clean, convenient and healthy environment."

During the AAK activities this year, Wipol is deploying the Aksi Anti Kuman team to thoroughly educate 15 public health facilities and 1,500 households across Jakarta. One of their approaches is to enhance people's understanding of the importance of cleaning their houses using disinfectant cleaners.

For this reason, the Aksi Anti Kuman team is prepared to help clean flood victims' homes using Wipol, a disinfectant cleaner with active, anti-germ ingredients capable of killing 99% of all germs so the family can be protected from the threat of germs and bacteria after the floods. Besides AAK, Wipol will also hold other supporting activities such as free health checks for flood victims through cooperation with Indomaret. Different from previous years, the whole AAK campaign this year will be supported by social media accounts like Twitter: @sigapbanjir and Facebook: Sigap Banjir.

To strengthen the educational efforts of the AAK campaign, Wipol is holding the "Saya Duta AAK" program to encourage mothers to understand more about the importance of keeping their houses germ-free and spread that positive education to their surrounding neighbors. Next, a competition will be held to boost the spirit of "Duta AAK" to expand the education benefits of this program. In the end, the most inspiring "Duta AAK" will be chosen as the "Saya Duta AAK".

"Through the 'Saya Duta AAK' competition, Wipol wants to strengthen one of the main objectives of the whole AAK series: educate families to keep their houses not only clean but also hygienic and germ-free. In the end, we hope that more families can prevent the threats of dangerous diseases during the rainy season," Teguh concluded.