SINGAPORE, Dec. 11, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Mundipharma today announces that it has partnered with Direct Relief, a leading aid organisation, to donate supplies of its BETADINE® range of anti-virals to support the aid organisation's efforts to contain the current outbreak of Ebola in West Africa.
During this outbreak of Ebola, most of the disease has spread through human-to-human transmission. According to World Health Organisation guidelines, hand hygiene is the most important infection prevention and control measure[1]. The WHO has recommended hand washing as a key measure in infection control since the skin is a routine source of infection transmission.
To support the guidelines, Mundipharma will donate supplies of BETADINE® to provide more than two million hand washes in the Ebola treatment centres of West Africa.
To encourage members of the public to join Mundipharma's efforts to contain the spread of the Ebola virus, for every new "like" on the "Infection Life Hacks" Singapore Facebook page before 31 December, Mundipharma will donate a bottle of BETADINE® to Direct Relief. Infection Life Hacks is part of Mundipharma's public awareness efforts to provide easy-to-understand medical information to the general public on relevant infection related topics from reputable sources (e.g. WHO, CDC etc.).
Raman Singh, President, Asia Pacific, Latin America, Middle East, and Africa, commented: "Mundipharma takes its responsibility to support the international aid efforts against Ebola very seriously. We hope that our proactive approach to product donations will enable Direct Relief to continue to quickly and efficiently provide important preventative measures in limiting the outbreak of this serious and growing health issue.
"The donation of BETADINE® is wholly consistent with our mission and commitment to improving the health and quality of life of the human race everywhere, even in the most extreme circumstances such as these and emphasises our focus on caring for those most in need. BETADINE® has been used and trusted as an antiseptic for more than 50 years, multiple publications of BETADINE® and its general virucidal activity exist which is why we believe the BETADINE® range can play an important role in the fight against the spread of Ebola."
"We are very pleased to partner with Mundipharma as we and our partners in West Africa continue our relentless efforts to combat Ebola at this crucial time. Minimising the further spread of the virus is a fundamental step in our fight against Ebola and providing aid workers, healthcare professionals and the general population with a means to implement proper hand hygiene via Mundipharma's donations will play an important role in our task," said Thomas Tighe, Chief Executive Officer of Direct Relief.
The supplies of BETADINE® Surgical Scrub and BETADINE® Scalp & Skin Cleanser donated by Mundipharma are medicated soaps containing povidone iodine, a well-known antiviral, to provide hand disinfection even in areas without access to clean running water.
The Ebola virus is frequently found in saliva in the early course of disease and close face-to-face contact without appropriate personal protective equipment (including eye protection) has been rated as moderate risk to acquire Ebola virus by the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control[2]. In addition to protecting the hands, mouth and nose, "gargling" with the donated supplies of BETADINE® Mouth Wash & Gargle and BETADINE® Throat Spray can disrupt the transmission of the virus via saliva by reducing germ count at the pharynx.
BETADINE® has demonstrated strong efficacy against enveloped viruses and sufficient efficacy against non-enveloped viruses and its use to contain the spread of Ebola has already been endorsed by the Australian Department of Health and Ageing[3].
The donation is one of a number of initiatives currently being implemented by Mundipharma employees globally in a proactive drive to address the rising medical needs of Ebola patients.
| [1] (WHO, August 2014). |
| [2] (ECDC, 2014). |
| [3] (Australian Government Department of Health, Guidelines for laboratories associated with a designated isolation hospital, October 2014). |
BETADINE® is a Registered Trademark.
About Mundipharma
The Mundipharma network of independent associated companies consists of privately owned companies and joint ventures covering the world's pharmaceutical markets. These companies are committed to bringing to patients the benefits of pioneering treatment options in the core therapy areas of oncology, pain, respiratory and rheumatoid arthritis. www.mundipharma.com.sg
About Direct Relief
Direct Relief is a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization that provides medical assistance to people around the world who have been affected by poverty, natural disasters, and civil unrest. Thanks to generous material and financial contributions from individuals, pharmaceutical companies, and medical equipment manufacturers, Direct Relief can work with healthcare professionals and organizations on the ground and equip them with the essential medical supplies and equipment that they need to help people recover from a disaster.
Direct Relief's assistance programs are tailored for the particular circumstances and needs of those who have suffered from the effects of natural and man-made disasters. Direct Relief also establishes partnerships with local organizations to provide health services to people in rural areas of a country that are poor and lack basic healthcare infrastructure.
