RACINE, Wisconsin, April 13, 2016 /PRNewswire-HISPANIC PR WIRE/ — SC Johnson today announced a partnership with AmeriCares to donate 50,000 units of OFF!® personal repellent to be distributed in Florida and El Salvador to help families combat the mosquitoes that may carry disease. This donation is part of SC Johnson’s commitment to provide at least $15 million over the next year to help protect families from the Zika virus.
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“El Salvador, with one of the highest rates of Zika in Central America, has a pressing need for assistance. In the U.S., Florida has the highest number of travel-related cases of Zika and many residents who travel frequently to countries with Zika outbreaks. Personal repellent can help protect needy families against the spread of mosquito-borne disease in this state,” said Fisk Johnson, Chairman and CEO of SC Johnson. “Working with an organization like AmeriCares and its partner network allows us to get people the tools they need to protect themselves.”
Today’s donation to AmeriCares is the latest announcement in SC Johnson’s ongoing effort to provide up to $15 million in resources to help defend against the mosquitoes that may carry the Zika virus. In coordination with the CDC Foundation, SCJ supported the Zika Action Plan Summit held by the White House and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on April 1, and also donated to the CDC’s Zika Prevention Kits. Additional donations have been made to the Rio de Janeiro-based Children’s Health Association and the County of Hawaii Civil Defense Agency.
AmeriCares is an emergency response and global health organization that saves lives and builds healthier futures for people in crisis in the U.S. and around the world. Since it was established in more than 30 years ago, AmeriCares has distributed more than $12 billion in humanitarian aid to 164 countries, including the United States.
“Prevention is key to management of the Zika virus,” said AmeriCares Medical Officer Julie Varughese. “We’re excited to be able to offer this repellent as a way for families in high-risk communities to reduce their risk of transmission.”
SC Johnson is the world’s largest manufacturer of insect repellents and household insecticides, including OFF!®, Autan®, Raid® and Baygon®. Amid growing concern about mosquito-borne diseases, SC Johnson has scaled up its production efforts to meet increased national and global demand for personal repellents and to ensure that families have steady access to these essential products. In addition, for 60 years, SC Johnson entomologists have studied insects at the Entomology Research Center in Racine, Wis., the biggest private, urban entomology research center in the world. For more information, please go to www.scjohnson.com/mosquitoes
About SC Johnson
SC Johnson is a family company dedicated to innovative, high-quality products, excellence in the workplace and a long-term commitment to the environment and the communities in which it operates. Based in the USA, the company is one of the world’s leading manufacturers of household cleaning products and products for home storage, air care, pest control and shoe care, as well as professional products. It markets such well-known brands as GLADE®, KIWI®, OFF!®, PLEDGE®, RAID®, SCRUBBING BUBBLES®, SHOUT®, WINDEX® and ZIPLOC® in the U.S. and beyond, with brands marketed outside the U.S. including AUTAN®, TANA®, BAMA®, BAYGON®, BRISE®, KABIKILLER®, KLEAR®, MR MUSCLE® and RIDSECT®. The 130-year-old company, which generates $10 billion in sales, employs approximately 13,000 people globally and sells products in virtually every country around the world. www.scjohnson.com
