PETALING JAYA, Malaysia, May 18, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- It is often said that education is the key to solving many world issues, and that ignorance can be deadly. In 2017, a total of 82,840 dengue fever cases and 171 dengue related deaths were recorded, while influenza and pneumonia mortality ranks at the 2nd highest cause of death in Malaysia. Although these deaths may not be completely avoidable, plugging out the ignorance about dengue awareness and proper hand hygiene may reduce the instances of dengue transmissions and mortality. In fact, studies done by Initial Hygiene have shown that good hand hygiene can prevent approximately 20% of respiratory infections.
As a global leader in pest and hygiene solutions, Rentokil Initial aims to contribute more towards the sharing of awareness regarding Malaysia's prominent health and pest issues. Hence on the 24th of April 2018, Rentokil Initial Malaysia launched Better Futures, a Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) programme that stemmed from their mission to protect people and enhance lives. Similar to their previous programme, Better Futures will continue to focus on increasing awareness towards adopting good hygiene practices, and managing pest issues. With "Better Futures", Rentokil Initial Malaysia aims to provide a solid educational foundation to enable a healthier and safer future for the community.
Reflecting on their past CSR campaigns, Rentokil Initial Malaysia has attained yet another milestone of success in these CSR programmes, having reached out to more than 30,000 students on personal hygiene and dengue awareness since initiating their Personal Hygiene Awareness Training.
Better Futures will continue running the Adopt-a-School programme, and aside from that, the second phase of Better Futures will also include community service and gotong-royong. This year, in conjunction with World Mosquito Day, the team at Rentokil Initial Malaysia will continue to conduct Anti-Dengue related activities to increase awareness on the threats of Aedes mosquitoes and the importance of maintaining a clean environment to reduce Aedes breeding grounds.
As Ms. Carol Lam, the Managing Director of Rentokil Initial Malaysia aptly puts it, "Communities that are aware, are communities that are more likely to take action. When we all play our part, we can protect the ones we love, and enhance not only our own lives but also the lives of those around us. This is what Rentokil Initial stands for, and that is the goal we want to work towards through our Corporate Social Responsibility programmes."