Friday, July 30, 2010

Washing our hands

Radio 4’s In Business with Peter Day last night included an interview with one of those who definitely qualifies for the epithet splendid woman. Val Curtis is an academic who is not afraid to get her hands dirty by mixing with advertisers & marketing men, with the modest aim of getting everybody in the whole wide world to get used to the idea of washing their hands, with soap, after going to the loo.

Diarrhoea kills so many children world wide – far more than Aids or malaria and it is estimated that 1 million lives could be saved by this one very simple measure.

Marketing men know both how to help change the culture so that everybody accepts this idea & how to ensure that the supply of soap is there to meet the resultant demand. This means, for example, producing soap in smaller bars to meet the incomes & cash flow of people who are much poorer than we spoiled westerners.

All of a sudden I find myself wondering about just what is this magical property of soap? And does William Hesketh Lever deserve all the credit for the reduction in mortality in this country since the end of the C19th? He studied not only the habits of his customers, poor Lancashire housewives, but also American techniques of brand naming, advertising, and sales promotion, to learn how to provide household necessities and minor luxuries at a moderate price. Thus were born Sunlight soap, Lux & Vim.

I also wonder if teaching men to use soap & water carefully & thoroughly to ‘now wash’ could do more, at much less risk to them, to reduce the spread of AIDS than will circumcision.


Related post