Procter & Gamble and global health organization Population Services International (PSI) are providing 10 million liters of safe drinking water to help prevent cholera in Zimbabwe.
Developed by P&G, PŪRTM Purifier of Water is a powdered water clarification and disinfectant technology that comes in small, easy-to-use packets. Using some of the same ingredients as municipal water systems, the PŪR water purification packets remove pollutants and cysts as well as kills viruses and bacteria, including the bacteria that cause cholera.
More than one-thousand people have died from the current cholera outbreak in Zimbabwe.
PSI has the staff, infrastructure and resources to distribute the PŪR packets in partnership with the non-profit group, AmeriCares. The packets will be distributed for free to those living in areas with high cholera outbreaks in and around Harare, Beitbridge and Mudzi, Zimbabwe. Approximately 10,000 families with 40-60,000 people will benefit with the use of PŪR packets to meet their water treatment needs for three months.
“P&G is grateful for the work of our safe drinking water partners, PSI and AmeriCares, during this holiday season to make PŪR available to the people of Zimbabwe and to help address this deadly cholera outbreak,” said Greg Allgood, Director, Children’s Safe Drinking Water at P&G. “PSI will provide the equivalent of 300 tanker trucks of purified water treated with the PŪR packets in order to help prevent thousands of cases of cholera.”
The Children’s Safe Drinking Water (CSDW) program is a signature program of P&G’s Live, Learn and Thrive global cause, which reached more than 60 million children in need around the world just last year. Since its launch in 2003, P&G has worked with partners to provide more than 1.3 billion liters of clean drinking water to people in over 40 countries. PSI is a critical partner in these efforts and provides PŪR in 10 countries. In 2008, PSI received commendation from the Congolese government for providing PŪR to save lives during a cholera outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
Related Story: Children’s Safe Drinking Water Program Provides One Billionth Liter of Clean Water
The Children’s Safe Drinking Water Program celebrated the creation of its one billionth liter of clean drinking water in April, 2008, at a rural clinic in Nigeria, using a packet of water clarification and disinfectant developed by Procter & Gamble.