DOH's anti-COVID-19 campaign gets helping hand from private sector
MANILA, Philippines — The Department of Health got a boost from Procter & Gamble (P&G) Philippines and the US Agency for International Development (USAID) in realizing its nationwide education campaign against COVID-19 called the "BIDA Solusyon."
“BIDA” is a simple acronym that reminds Filipinos of key preventive measures to take in order to curb the pandemic: Bawal walang mask, I-sanitize ang kamay, Iwas hawak sa mga bagay, Dumistansya ng isang metro, and Alamin ang totoong impormasyon.
P&G supplied BIDA home kits to 70,000 Filipinos in 36 provinces to arm them against the coronavirus and promote preventive behaviors.
These kits contain a two-week supply of P&G products like Safeguard bath soap, Head and Shoulders shampoo, Joy dishwashing liquid, Ariel laundry detergent and Oral B toothbrushes, as well as fabric masks and other health and hygiene products.
For its part, the USAID identified recipient areas, namely local government units with COVID hotspots and quarantine centers, locally stranded individuals and temporary shelters.
Regions and cities with high case fatality rate, highest population density, high risk for sustained community transmission and lower level of available resources were also prioritized for the kits.
To further aid the Health department’s campaign, the company sponsored the production and airing of Bida Solusyon mass education videos that advocate everyday home sanitation practices for airing on television, internet, social media and radio.
It also set up informative BIDA Solusyon hygiene solution centers in 96 supermarkets that could cumulatively reach around four million people daily.
“(The company) has been a long-time partner of DOH in promoting health and hygiene such as during SARS or H1N1. Public-private partnerships help us reach and educate more of our countrymen so together we can all contain the virus and spare lives,” Dr. Beverly Ho, DOH Health Promotion and Communication Service Director said.
