The Reckitt Fight for Access Fund
We have mobilised £40 million as part of our Reckitt Fight for Access Fund to address our collective fight against the spread of Covid-19. Our immediate focus is to address the stress faced by our consumers and communities where we operate, to break the chain of infection.
Some of our actions to date
£40 million
The amount mobilised to address our collective fight against the spread of Covid-19
2 million USD
donated by Lysol to CDC in the US to support hygiene education in schools
£1 million
pledge to IRC to for the world’s most vulnerable communities
10 million
bars of Dettol soap in India to vulnerable communities
“Our brands have a critical role to play in promoting hygiene and health in the fight against the current Covid-19 pandemic. I have been witness to heroic efforts across the company to live our Purpose and our Fight. I am in awe of the ‘can do’ attitude across the Reckitt organization and the relentless pursuit by my colleagues to make the world cleaner and healthier.”
Laxman Narasimhan, Reckitt’s Global CEO
Fight for Access in action
Lysol Philippines has partnered with the Philippine Red Cross (PRC) for mission “Disinfect to Protect”, a joint effort to ensure everybody is protected from illnesses, by breaking the chain of infections. Through the endeavour, Lysol Philippines donated P36 million to boost COVID-19 mass testing in support of government efforts, bring it to the most vulnerable groups, and encourage Filipinos to sanitize their surroundings to protect them from disease-causing germs.
Half of the donation has been used to build a COVID-19 mass testing center in Cagayan De Oro city. To be known as the Philippine Red Cross Molecular Laboratory, the facility has 2 polymerase chain reaction machines that can process 2,000 tests per day. The other half of the donation—P18 million—did go to the COVID-19 Samaritan Fund to shoulder processing fees to test around 4,500 Filipinos from the most susceptible groups, including the elderly, pregnant women and those with pre-existing health conditions, especially in poor communities. Lysol will also turn over P5 million worth of its products to help disinfect PRC sample collection areas, as well as testing laboratories, to keep frontline healthcare workers and communities protected against the novel coronavirus.
As a company which exists to protect, heal and nurture, it was important that we used our Dettol brand to provide as much help and support as possible for the NHS workers selflessly working to keep the UK safe and healthy in the face of Covid-19.
We are proud to be donating Dettol product care packages to 150,000 NHS workers all over the country, starting with those working in certain NHS hospitals in Nottingham, Hull and Chesterfield; where our product was invented, is developed and is distributed from. In addition to the product donation, we have also donated media space to Her Majesty’s government to support its vital public health announcements driving crucial behavioural change and improved germ-prevention awareness, which will also be supported with a dedicated Dettol social media campaign supporting these messages.
Speaking of the initiative, Susan Egstrand, Regional General Manager Northern Europe; UK & Ireland at Reckitt Benckiser, said; “We are proud to be providing NHS heroes with extra support at this time and hope our care packages help protect key workers and their loved ones. Dettol was first invented in the UK for midwives over 86 years ago, so we have always played a role in protecting the protectors. After receiving requests for our product from NHS workers who wanted to better protect themselves and their loved ones from germs at home, we felt compelled to act and hope our donation goes a small way to helping them feel safe, appreciated and protected at this time. We want to extend our warmest and heartfelt thanks to all those who are working exceptionally long hours under extremely challenging circumstances to protect the nation. I know everyone at Reckitt Benckiser feels so privileged to work for a company that is playing its part, however small, in this fight.”
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In the wake of the Coronavirus pandemic, UNAIDS and Reckitt are joining forces to help protect people living with HIV across Africa.
In the wake of the Coronavirus pandemic, UNAIDS and Reckitt are joining forces to help protect people living with HIV across Africa.
Working through the UNAIDS network, the partnership hopes to reach approximately 220,000 individuals across Africa with a Hygiene pack that contains a three-month supply of Dettol soap and JIK bleach and will be distributed in 22 ESA and neighboring countries through UNAIDS Country Offices and networks of people living with HIV. The market value of these products is around R 42 million.
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Reckitt is pledging £1 million to the International Rescue Committee’s (IRC) response to the COVID-19 pandemic, providing lifesaving programmes for the world’s most vulnerable communities.
Our funding will support:
- The IRC’s front-line COVID-19 response in refugee and vulnerable communities in Lebanon, Jordan and Syria; and
- The IRC’s Crisis Response Fund, a dedicated fund which supports emergency COVID-19 interventions across 40 countries.
During this unprecedented era, medical care, WASH and hygiene interventions, shelter and continuation of services for vulnerable communities are more critical than ever before. This funding will enable the IRC to reach approximately 13,000 people with vital health services in Jordan and Syria and economic recovery and child education and protection programmes in Lebanon; it will also support the IRC to rapidly detect, respond to and prevent further transmission of the disease in other countries where it operates.
Bart Meermans, SVP Health Africa/ Middle East / Turkey, commented “Access to high-quality hygiene should be available to all, particularly at this critical time. Supporting the IRC’s lifesaving work on the frontline of the most pressing humanitarian disasters and healthcare emergencies is a clear demonstration of our purpose and fight in action.”
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The partnership:
- Building on Reckitt Australia’s footprint on disinfection, our ambition was to make a meaningful impact and help our community. It’s building on the simple insight that the protection of elderly - that could be our mum or dad - often too invisible in our society, is the most vulnerable and it is our simple way of living out the new Reckitt purpose and our beliefs to reach out and look after them especially during COVID times.
- As well as a significant product donation, a bespoke Glen 20 TV communication was also highlight the fantastic work this charity is doing every day on the ground to help the community, and do a call out for donations.
The partnership does not stop there. Reckitt Australia has a plan to continue to support Meals on Wheels Australia and provide vital support for the elderly in the community. Employees are also keen to get involved and volunteer – as soon as it is safe to do so.