Toothpaste and toiletries giant Colgate-Palmolive is donating £500,000 worth of health and hygiene products to the British Red Cross to help combat the spread of Covid-19 in the UK's most-deprived areas.
The gift is part of the company’s global support for the #SafeHands project, run by the World Health Organization (WHO).
The donation will help vulnerable people gain access to essential hygiene products including toothbrushes, toothpastes and hand and body soaps.
According to the WHO, proper handwashing is critical to slow the spread of the disease.
But a combination of difficulty of access to quality soap and a lack of knowledge of how to properly wash hands to kill the virus is a challenge, particularly in many vulnerable communities around the world.
The soap will be specially packaged with clear instructions on recommended handwashing techniques.
"One of the most important ways we can help stop the spread of this virus is for organisations to bring together the best of what we each do for the greater good," said Taylor Gordy, Colgate-Palmolive vice president & general manager in Northern Europe.
"Now more than ever we need to do all that we can to make a difference in our local communities to protect those in need, including the frontline workers and care organisations who are providing such incredible support."
