Bhubaneswar: In the run-up to World Mosquito Day (Aug 20), Goodknight, India’s leading mosquito repellent brand from the house of Godrej Consumer Products Ltd (GCPL), embarked on a social program to spread awareness around child health and how disease-causing mosquitoes can impact child’s well-being. This awareness initiative will be carried out in a total of eight Indian states– Bihar, Jharkhand, West Bengal, Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat and is currently being executed through door-to-door conversations in Odisha, explaining the extent and intensity of vector-borne diseases.
Vector-borne disease cases in Odisha witnessed a sharp rise in 2021. As per National Vector Borne Disease Control Programme (NVBDCP), the state reported 25503 malaria cases and 7548 dengue cases. This spurt in cases has led to cautions across the state to avert a rise in 2022.
The awareness program is part of Goodknight’s efforts under its campaign ‘NeendokoNazarnalage’. The initiative is to educate parents about how uninterrupted sleep can negatively impact a child’s overall well-being and development. Through this initiative, Goodknight aims to reach out to over 18 lakh people in India.
Commenting on this outreach initiative, Somasree Bose Awasthi, Chief Marketing Officer, Godrej Consumer Products Ltd (GCPL), said, “Goodknight is committed to empowering families with the best of protection against mosquitoes. With this initiative, we hope to also increase awareness about the harmful effects of mosquitoes on a child’s sleep and therefore, their growth. During our on-ground outreach, we realised that most people are unaware of the negative repercussions even a single mosquito can have on a child’s well-being, are often misguided due to lack of information and were using ineffective solutions as repellents. Through the awareness programme, we not only hope to sensitize people but also empower them with the knowledge to support the overall development of children.”
Each household visit includes an informational pamphlet distribution and personal interaction as part of the on-ground activity. Goodknight has observed a positive response with high engagement from people wishing to switch to safer, smoke-free mosquito repellents. The campaign plans to include the rural community healthcare network of Accredited Social Health Activists (ASHA workers), Anganwadi workers and midwives.
This is being done to specifically reach out to mothers with little kids vulnerable to the ill effects of mosquitoes and repellents. They will be invited to attend discussions aimed at spreading awareness about the importance of nutrition, vaccination and uninterrupted sleep for the growth and overall wellbeing of children.
