SC Johnson, a Us-based manufacturer, has partnered with Society for Family Health (SFH) Rwanda and the Ministry of Health to provide official certification and livable wages to unofficial community health workers in Rwanda as part of the country's commitment to eradicate malaria.
SC Johnson, along with one of its leading insect control brand teams, Raid® created Certified Care, an educational programme that trains and empowers women to become officially certified community health workers - the front-line defence of detecting and treating malaria at a community level. The majority of thousands of community health workers in Rwanda are women.
The programme provides the caregivers with the ability to earn a living wage for something they've spent a lifetime doing for free. Through the Certified Care programme, community health workers gain skills and knowledge in diagnosis and treatment across a variety of illnesses and diseases, care for their communities and build a career for the future.
On World Malaria Day on Tuesday, April 25, SC Johnson, alongside Raid® and SFH Rwanda, celebrated the official certification of 10,000 community health workers through Certified Care to help in the fight to eradicate malaria in Rwanda and provide them with official, paying positions.
"Through the extensive time SC Johnson teams have spent in the region, living and working alongside Rwandan caregivers, it was clear to us that the caregivers deserved to be recognized for their service to the community and enabled with more resources," said Fisk Johnson, Chairman and CEO of SC Johnson.
"These women perform lifesaving work every day, and as we look to expand Certified Care, it's our hope that this programme, developed out of a committed partnership between SC Johnson and Society for Family Health Rwanda, can create an example for other governments and partners to scale and help make a truly lasting impact across the world."
For decades, SC Johnson has been using its expertise and capabilities to make contributions toward eradicating malaria and helping make life healthier and better for families.
"Working with SC Johnson and its Raid® brand team to create this programme highlights an often-overlooked side effect of the malaria epidemic and further provides equity to women who are disproportionately affected," said Manasseh Gihana Wandera, Executive Director of Society for Family Health Rwanda.
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"These Community Health Workers know what needs to be done to help their communities as most have been doing this all their lives. Their contributions deserve to be recognized, and this certification allows for that to happen. They are heroes of their communities."
In addition to over 10,000 people being certified through Certified Care since 2017, SC Johnson's partnership with Society for Family Health Rwanda and the Ministry of Health has led to the construction of nearly 70 health clinics across the country, which help address malaria along with other public health issues including HIV/AIDS, family planning, nutrition and access to clean water.
Currently, Community Health Workers treat 55% of all malaria cases in Rwanda.
"In the past, when one of my family members had malaria, I would have to skip work to tend to them," said Olive Mukandayisenga, a community health worker certified through the SC Johnson/Raid® Certified Care programme.
"Becoming certified for the work I've been doing and earning a livable wage now means I can maintain my family's farm and keep my family happy and healthy, all while protecting myself and my future."
SC Johnson has joined partners from the East African Community to sign an MoU supporting the Great Lakes Malaria Initiative and build on efforts to help address threats like mosquito-borne disease, improve health and save lives.
Most recently, SC Johnson announced plans to invest more than $10 million to produce low-cost spatial repellents in Nairobi, Kenya, helping millions of Kenyans to gain access to a completely new tool in the fight against malaria, as well as provide funding for new health clinics and preventative education to help Kenya's communities most vulnerable to malaria.
