SC Johnson and the United Nations Foundation’s Beat Malaria Campaign Join Forces to Eradicate Malaria in the African Great Lakes Region

RACINE, Wis., June 20, 2022 – Today, SC Johnson announced a partnership with the United Nations (UN) Foundation’s United to Beat Malaria (Beat Malaria) campaign. The partnership will leverage SC Johnson’s expertise in science and innovation and Beat Malaria’s global network of resources and educational content to deliver preventative measures to hard-to-reach communities across the African Great Lakes region.

“Malaria is an entirely preventable and treatable disease, and yet, cases and deaths are tragically on the rise around the world, particularly in Sub-Saharan Africa, including Africa’s Great Lakes region,” said Fisk Johnson, Chairman and CEO of SC Johnson. “SC Johnson is committed to applying our expertise in insect science and repellent technologies in partnership with organizations like the UN Foundation’s Beat Malaria campaign to accelerate efforts to prevent malaria and other mosquito-borne diseases. One company or organization can’t do it alone. It will take all of us working together to create a healthier world for the next generation.”

SC Johnson and Beat Malaria’s partnership will drive malaria projects, such as prevention, testing and treatment innovations, in South Sudan, the Democratic Republic of Congo and other countries across the region, with priority placed on those most at risk of the disease and remote communities with lower access to healthcare. In addition, Beat Malaria and SC Johnson will develop engaging digital content that illustrates the impact of malaria across the region and tells the stories of the families and health workers impacted by this disease.

“Our partnership with SC Johnson is built on a shared commitment to protect families around the world from preventable disease and reach the most underserved and hard-to-reach communities,” said Margaret McDonnell, Beat Malaria’s Executive Director. “Together, working closely with local health systems and NGO’s, this partnership will provide a wide range of malaria prevention, treatment, and testing tools and strategies, along with health worker training, to hundreds of thousands of at-risk families across Central and East Africa.”

This partnership aims to support and highlight the Great Lakes Malaria Initiative (GLMI), a multi-country collaboration supported by SC Johnson that aims to reduce malaria cases in the African Great Lakes region by 50% by 2025.

“The Great Lakes Malaria Initiative is a powerful example of the collective ambition and determination we need to end malaria for good,” said Elizabeth Cousens, the UN Foundation’s President and CEO. “We’re proud to work with country leaders, UN partners and SC Johnson to cut malaria cases in the Great Lakes region in half by 2025. Together, we can protect millions from this deadly disease and deliver on the promise of good health and well-being for all.”

For the past six decades, SC Johnson has been applying their entomological expertise to develop innovative products that provide protection against malaria and other insect-borne diseases. The partnership between the UN Foundation’s Beat Malaria campaign and SC Johnson is another step the organizations are taking to work towards a malaria-free generation.

Working toward a world without malaria

SC Johnson has a long history of using its expertise and core competencies to fight mosquito-borne, preventable diseases and expanding access to healthcare in the Great Lakes Africa region.

Some of the other ways the company is working to help eradicate the disease include:

• Coordinating on the GLMI to help reduce malaria cases and deaths, with additional funds supporting health posts.
• Partnering with Rwanda’s Ministry of Health and the Society for Family Health to establish health posts across the country that address malaria and other public health issues. Since 2018, the partnership has launched nearly 70 health posts in Rwanda; and in 2021, helped establish the first health post in South Sudan.
• Creating and distributing Mosquito Shield™, a low-cost, effective indoor spatial repellent, to families where core interventions are constrained.
• Developing optimized versions of spatial repellents that are long-lasting, low-cost and offer further solutions for area protection for families who need it most.
• Additionally, the company continues to support entomology resourcing and providing preventative education for the approximately 60 million people in the region through partnerships and investments.

Collective action and partnership

This week, SC Johnson and the UN Foundation will both be at the Kigali Summit on Malaria and Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTDs), taking place in Rwanda alongside the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM). The Summit will foster critical discussions centered around innovation and reaffirming values, actions and policies to improve the lives of the people in the communities around the globe. 

About UN Foundation’s United to Beat Malaria Campaign 

The UN Foundation is an independent charitable organization created to work closely with the United Nations to address humanity’s greatest challenges, build initiatives across sectors to solve problems at scale, and drive global progress. Learn more at www.unfoundation.org 

 
The UN Foundation’s United to Beat Malaria campaign brings together key and diverse partners and supporters to take urgent action to end malaria and create a healthier, more equitable world. Since 2006, United to Beat Malaria has worked to equip and mobilize citizens across the U.S. and around the world to raise awareness, funds and voices. The campaign works with partners in endemic countries to channel life-saving resources to protect the most marginalized and vulnerable populations. By championing increased leadership, political will and resources from the U.S. and beyond, as well as more holistic, innovative tools and strategies, we can be the generation that ends malaria once and for all. Learn more at www.beatmalaria.org Watch: https://youtu.be/bT6UJhzfA4Q 

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.  

See how SC Johnson is a Family Company At Work For a Better World by visiting scjohnson.com or joining us on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram and YouTube.