By Business India Editorial

Colgate-Palmolive India has partnered with the Andhra Pradesh government to implement an oral health awareness programme called Project Dr YSR Chinaravvu. The programme will focus on educating children on oral health and building awareness around the dangers of tobacco use. The programme will begin in Nellore district and will eventually reach four million children in Andhra Pradesh.

The project, in partnership with NGO Sabhav Foundation, starts from a school in Nellore district, where Colgate-Palmolive will work with the state government to educate children on oral health and build awareness on saying 'No' to tobacco.

It seeks to bring down the incidence of cavities and other dental problems in children through information on oral health and building the right oral care habits. And hopes to reach out to 2,600 government schools and four million children in Andhra Pradesh with this project.

Vidadala Rajini, Minister of Health, Family Welfare and Medical Education, Andhra Pradesh said, "This collaboration supports the Andhra state's Project DR YSR Chirunavvu – the brainchild initiative of our Chief Minister. We deeply appreciate the efforts of Colgate India for providing dental medical equipment infrastructures in government dental colleges and hospitals, which will further strengthen better oral health for people of the state."

Prabha Narasimhan, MD and CEO of Colgate-Palmolive India, said, "We are honoured to partner with the Andhra Pradesh government to contribute in achieving the common vision for improved oral health in India. The support from the CM's office and related departments on this partnership has been exemplary and Colgate Palmolive is grateful for their vision and commitment."

Colgate Palmolive has several other CSR projects underway. A Digital and Financial literacy Programme has trained 100 'Digital Smile Sakhis' who have further trained 10,000 women in FY22. The company aims to train 50,000 women by 2025 from tribal, rural, urban areas and from less privileged backgrounds of Udaipur, Rajasthan. The company has also partnered with Seva Mandir to support livelihoods for women by enabling water availability and accessibility through augmentation interventions, supporting more than 27,000 villagers in and around Udaipur, Rajasthan.

Towards the end of 2021, the company launched a new Social Impact Programme on cleft surgeries and care for children belonging to low-income families, in partnership with NGO Mission Smile. The programme was rolled out in Assam, Meghalaya, Gujarat, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh and Sikkim. It accomplished 275 surgeries by March 2022.

Through its CSR budget, Colgate Palmolive has spent Rs23.43 crore on social initiatives in the financial year 2021-22, including Covid-19-related health equipment and infrastructure support.