News & Events

NEW YORK, Dec. 22, 1999 -- The U.S. Committee for UNICEF (The United Nations Children's Fund) announced today a donation of approximately 55 million syringes from BD (Becton, Dickinson and Company), the world's leading manufacturer of injection devices. The syringes will support the UNICEF-led campaign to eliminate maternal and neonatal tetanus (MNT) as a worldwide public health problem by 2005. This brings the company's donation in cash and product to the MNT program to a total of $8 million.

``BD's latest donation provides a major boost toward our goal of eliminating tetanus as a global public health problem and improving the lives of women and children in very tangible ways,'' said Charles J. Lyons, president of the U.S. Committee. ``It is corporate responsibility at its best.''

BD helped launch the MNT campaign in 1998 with an initial donation of cash and product valued at $4 million. At that time, the U.S. Committee for UNICEF asked BD to consider a significantly larger donation of ``auto-disable'' syringes, which are uniquely suitable for broad-scale immunization campaigns. Auto-disable syringes can be used only once and thus eliminate the possibility of cross-infection through syringe reuse -- an unsafe practice still common in many nations. The first BD auto-disable syringe was designed exclusively for immunization and developed according to World Health Organization (WHO) specifications.

Last month, The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation joined BD as a major contributor to the effort to elimination of tetanus with a grant of $26 million. In addition to UNICEF, the U.S. Committee for UNICEF, BD and the Gates Foundation, the MNT partnership includes the World Health Organization, PATH (Program for Appropriate Technology in Health), the United Nations Population Fund and Biofarma, an Indonesian vaccine manufacturer. Together, they lead an effort to accomplish a goal of the 1990 World Summit for Children: the elimination of neonatal tetanus, defined as less than one case of tetanus per 1,000 live births in every district of every country.

The aim of the MNT initiative is to raise $100 million to immunize 100 million. Through the partnership, a low-cost tetanus program for immunization and health education will be implemented in 57 countries including India, China, Bangladesh, Ethiopia and Ghana. Local health workers will immunize women of childbearing age with three rounds of tetanus toxoid vaccine, as well as work to improve community and school immunization services and to teach clean birthing practices.

In 1998, approximately 215,000 newborns and 30,000 mothers died from tetanus in the developing world, while only one case of tetanus in newborns was reported in the U.S.

``BD is committed to helping all people live healthy lives,'' said BD Chairman Clateo Castellini. ``We are proud to have been an early champion of the MNT cause and look forward to doing even more in the future.''

SOURCE: United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF)

To learn more about maternal and neonatal tetanus, visit these websites: www.bd.com/community www.unicefusa.org.