A Worthy Cause

Shortly after I gave birth to Mekhi he was whisked away from me. I had a cesarean birth and they had to take care of completing my surgery. My husband stayed with Mekhi, gave him his first bath and put on his first diaper, a Pamper.


I was happy to find that the hospital used Pampers. Prior to giving birth I had done tons of research online and wanted the best for my baby and Pampers was my brand of choice. We still use Pampers and although Mekhi will soon be potty trained (I hope), we are loyal to the brand. And of course in my diaper cakes (remember those?) I always use Pampers Swaddlers.

In addition to loving the brand, I support Pampers because of their committment to helping others. The Pampers "One Pack=On Vaccine" campaign is part of a global initiative with UNICEF to eliminate maternal and neonatal tetanus (MNT), a preventable disease that claims the lives of approximately 128,000 infants and 30,000 mothers in less industrialized nations each year – that’s approximately one death every four minutes.

Tetanus can be contracted during childbirth in developing countries, where women often must give birth at home in unsanitary conditions without access to adequate health care. The disease rages through newborns within days of their exposure to the tetanus bacteria and almost always leads to a swift and painful death.

If you have a child in diapers or use wipes, through May 1, 2009, you can help UNICEF protect moms and babies around the world against tetanus by simply purchasing specially-marked packages of Pampers diapers and wipes. Each product purchased triggers one life-saving vaccine*. These specially marked packages of diapers and wipes cost the same as traditional products and are available wherever Pampers products are sold. For more information, go to: http://www.pampers.com/en_US/unicefhome

In addition to products, you can also redeem a special campaign “baby body suit” using Gifts to Grow points though Pampers.com. Each baby body suit triggers a life-saving vaccine. http://www.pampers.com/giftstogrow

With your Help, Pampers is Helping to Eliminate Tetanus
Funding from the “One Pack=One Vaccine” program has been essential to helping UNICEF provide much-needed tetanus vaccines to help protect moms and their newborn babies in developing nations against tetanus.

1. In the 2008 North America campaign, Pampers provided funding to UNICEF for over 50 million tetanus vaccines to help protect moms and their newborn babies against tetanus.
2. In the 2009 campaign in North America, Pampers aims to raise funds to help provide an additional 30 million vaccines.
3. Thanks to Pampers’ funding, the total global donations have helped UNICEF provide more than 100 million vaccines through August 31, 2008, and the North American goal was far exceeded.
4. The global campaign goal is to provide funding for more than 200 million life-saving tetanus vaccines over the next three years.

Mom and actress Salma Hayek is the international spokesperson for the program. She continued to demonstrate her commitment to the campaign on her recent trip to Sierra Leone with UNICEF where she witnessed firsthand the vital issue of maternal and neonatal tetanus. During her trip, Hayek met with local UNICEF representatives to discuss the impact of the campaign and see the dramatic reduction in annual newborn deaths, from 215,000 in 1999 to approximately 128,000 in 2004, saving 87,000 babies’ lives each year. While there is significant progress, much work has yet to be done.

I admire the work that Pampers is doing and will remain a loyal fan until my son is out of diapers (soon).