An estimated 3,000 kids die daily, and more than 3.5 million children do not live to the age of five, largely due to diarrhea and pneumonia – both manageable with soap and water. People worldwide wash their hands with water, but far too few use soap, particularly at crucial moments such as after using the toilet, cleaning a child, or before handling food.

In 2008, Unilever, its Lifebuoy soap brand, and Population Services International (PSI) joined forces to declare October 15th Global Handwashing Day. Last year, the public-private partnership produced a PSA starring actress Mandy Moore, among other efforts.

This year's Global Handwashing Day bring a new partnership with the Millennium Villages Project, a joint effort by the Earth Institute at Columbia University and the United Nations Development Program. The PSA simply asks for support for an initiative working with 500,000 people in rural villages across ten countries in sub-Saharan Africa as part of a bigger goal to reach one billion people:Continue reading...

Today is World Water Day — an international observance that grew out of the 1992 United Nations Conference on Environment and Development. Each year, the theme changes; this year, it's "Water for Cities: Responding to the Urban Challenge."

The fact that this year's World Water Day comes on the heels of the devastating Japanese earthquake, tsunami and radiation threat just calls all the more attention to the importance of water as a precious natural resource.

Even as Japan struggles to distribute clean water, food, and other vitally needed items, it is remarkable to think that Haiti continues to have its own post-earthquake issues with clean water, as indicated in Dow's World Water Day campaign.

The reality is clean water is becoming more of an issue for the world's people, and big brand marketers like Dow and Procter & Gamble (P&G) are stepping up to call attention to the issue and to help.Continue reading...