ROSWELL, Ga., Oct. 15, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- To mark the fifth anniversary of Global Handwashing Day, Kimberly-Clark and The Healthy Workplace Project today announced a 30-day challenge that will culminate in a $25,000 donation to the U.S. Fund for UNICEF in support of a UNICEF Global Handwashing initiative. The goal is to raise awareness of critical hygiene-related health challenges facing world communities.

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Here's how it works: Between October 15 ^th and November 15 ^th, people can take The Global Handwashing Day Challenge, a three-question online quiz that tests their knowledge of key health and hygiene issues. Anyone who participates – regardless of whether the questions are answered correctly – can choose one of three UNICEF projects to benefit from the donation. After the challenge ends, Kimberly-Clark and The Healthy Workplace Project will donate $25,000 to the U.S. Fund for UNICEF in support of the project that received the most votes. 

"Instilling the habit of handwashing is crucial to help prevent the transmission of many pathogens," said John Adams, Kimberly-Clark Professional Global Platform Leader, The Healthy Workplace Project. "Kimberly-Clark and The Healthy Workplace Project are proud to partner with the U.S. Fund for UNICEF to support Global Handwashing Day and its efforts to improve the health of children and families across the world."

The three UNICEF initiatives are:

• Bringing Clean Water Kits to Families in Emergencies. Access to clean water and proper sanitation is crucial to preventing disease following an emergency. This project provides children and families with the supplies they need to access clean water for eating, drinking and washing, to protect them from waterborne illnesses.
• Improving Water, Sanitation and Hygiene in Haiti's schools. Through this effort, UNICEF provides access to safe drinking water and supplies latrines with handwashing facilities. The project not only strengthens conditions at school, but encourages students to take hygiene lessons home to share with their families.
• Improving Community Hygiene in Africa . This program is designed to improve community understanding of and promote proper hygiene and sanitation practices – including handwashing with soap, the use and management of sanitation facilities, and drinking safe water. Instilling these practices will keep children safe and healthy and prevent diarrheal infections, a leading cause of death for children around the world.

"We are grateful for Kimberly-Clark's support in bringing awareness to the fact that handwashing with soap is critical in preventing the spread of diseases," said Deanna Helmig, Vice President of Corporate Partnerships at the U.S. Fund for UNICEF. "The simple act of washing hands, together with programs that promote improved hygiene and sanitation practices, can save millions of children's lives each year."

In addition to its support of Global Handwashing Day, Kimberly-Clark Professional is gearing up for cold and flu season by encouraging office workers to take the pledge to "wash, wipe, and sanitize" hands and surfaces to break the chain of germ transmission. This simple three-step protocol as part of The Healthy Workplace Project can reduce the chance of catching a cold or the flu by as much as 80 percent if followed consistently. The company has also recently launched an Automatic Door Handle Disinfector, which safely and effectively kills 99.9 percent of most common viruses and bacteria on the entire door handle.

The Healthy Workplace Project is a Kimberly-Clark Professional global initiative that uses an innovative approach to hand and surface hygiene to help workers understand, eliminate and prevent the spread of cold and flu germs throughout their offices. It aims to put a dent in the 560 million expected cases of the common cold this year and reduce the absenteeism and productivity losses from colds, the flu and other illnesses. It does so by providing a comprehensive range of educational materials and innovative solutions to maintain hand and surface cleanliness.

Global Handwashing Day, like The Healthy Workplace Project, motivates people to make a difference. While The Healthy Workplace Project focuses on office workers, Global Handwashing Day is aimed at children around the world and increasing awareness and understanding of the importance of handwashing with soap as an effective and affordable way to prevent disease.                                

To take the Global Handwashing Day Challenge, visit www.unicefusa.org/healthyworkplace. For information about The Healthy Workplace Project, visit www.healthyworkplaceproject.com.

About The Healthy Workplace Project  

The Healthy Workplace Project is a multi-faceted program designed by Kimberly-Clark Professional to help companies provide their employees with a healthier and more productive office environment. It offers a unique approach to hand and surface hygiene that helps employees understand how germs are transmitted to help stop their spread throughout the workplace. The program provides educational materials in conjunction with hand and surface hygiene products to employees, arming them with the tools and knowledge necessary to break the cycle of germ transmission in the office. By reinforcing the importance of the three-step protocol of "wash, wipe, sanitize" through The Healthy Workplace Project, employers can help reduce that impact. For more information, visit www.healthyworkplaceproject.com.

About Kimberly-Clark Professional

Kimberly-Clark Professional partners with businesses to create Exceptional Workplaces helping to make them safer, healthier, and more productive. Key brands in this segment include: Kleenex, Scott, WypAll, Kimtech, and Jackson Safety. Kimberly-Clark Professional, located in Roswell, Ga., is one of Kimberly-Clark Corporation's four business sectors, www.kcprofessional.com.

About Kimberly-Clark
Kimberly-Clark and its well-known global brands are an indispensable part of life for people in more than 175 countries. Every day, nearly a quarter of the world's population trust K-C's brands and the solutions they provide to enhance their health, hygiene and well-being. With brands such as Kleenex, Scott, Huggies, Pull-Ups, Kotex and Depend, Kimberly-Clark holds the No. 1 or No. 2 share position in more than 80 countries. To keep up with the latest K-C news and to learn more about the company's 140-year history of innovation, visit www.kimberly-clark.com.

SOURCE The Healthy Workplace Project