Return
to Story Page
To print: Select File and then Print from your
browser's menu
Namrata Singh
Mumbai, Aug 24: Hindustan Lever (HLL) has launched a nationwide community dental health programme which is being endorsed by `Pepsodent' in association with the Indian Medical Association (IMA). The IMA-Pepsodent joint initiative, which will be on for a duration of three years, will target over 100 million people across the country, primarily in rural India.
HLL, which is investing in the range of Rs 10-20 crore in this programme, plans to increase its direct reach of toothpaste in rural areas (with population of 2,000 plus) to 1.25 lakh villages by 2001. At present, HLL's direct reach of toothpaste to these rural areas is 40,000 villages.
HLL marketing controller (personal products division) Dalip Sehgal told The Financial Express: ``The increase in direct reach (in toothpaste) to cover 1.25 villages will be achieved as part of our parallel marketing activity to promote Pepsodent in the rural areas.''
The programme which is being launched in public interest assumes significance as HLL, which iscurrently second in rung in terms of market share in dental care, plans to attain market leadership by the year 2001 through aggressive marketing initiatives. Colgate-Palmolive (India) currently leads with an over 50 per cent market share in the Rs 1,000-crore toothpaste market. The market leader also runs similar initiatives in conjunction with the Indian Dental Association (IDA).
The IMA-Pepsodent initiative involves the launch of infomercials on oral health to raise awareness on dental hygiene, highlighting common dental problems and their causes. A series of infomercials will be aired on national television as part of the programme. Also, dental health programmes, education and check-up modules will be organised at public health centres.
Around 200 health melas will be organised predominantly in rural areas. A team comprising representatives from IMA and local public health centre personnel will conduct educational demonstrations on good brushing habits, proper use of dentrifices and other aspectsrelated to dental hygiene along with dental check-ups. As per estimates, while only 47 per cent of the population in India uses toothpastes and 27 per cent use toothpowder, nearly 260 million people in India are yet to adopt good oral care practise.
The promotion will targeted 10 districts in Uttar Pradesh and Maharashtra by the end of 1999, and will cover 50 districts by the year 2000. The vision of the IMA-Pepsodent project is ``to make every person in urban and rural India to adopt a good oral care regime'', HLL elaborated in its plan for the programme. The plan: 40 lakh children will benefit by the end of 1999.
HLL and IMA expect that overall dental care penetration in the country will increase to 58-60 per cent at the end of the programme from the current levels of 48 per cent.
In the dental care market, while HLL's overall share has inched up to 37 per cent, individually brand Pepsodent has garnered a share of 16 per cent, while Close-Up (HLL's other toothpaste brand) has around 21 per cent.
Onthe question of credibility of IMA in running a promotion in association with a brand, IMA general secretary Prem Aggarwal said at a press meet on Tuesday: ``The issue is not that of promoting a brand, the issue is a larger one about creating awareness among people on dental healthcare matters. IMA's goal is to achieve `Health for All with the Help of All'. In India more than 80 per cent people do not follow a proper oral care regime. In addition, the biggest problem is oral cancer where India accounts for over 40 per cent of the total cases in the world. In fact, IMA is also talking to Reckitt & Colman (to be endorsed by brand Mortein) to promote a campaign of eradicating mosquito-related problems.''
IMA has a membership of over 1.4 lakh doctors across the country. The aim is to shift the emphasis from curative health care to preventive health care, Aggarwal added.
IMA appeals to Supreme Court to bring tobacco under Drugs Act
The Indian Medical Association (IMA) has filed a public interestlitigation (PIL) in the Supreme Court in Delhi last week, pleading to bring tobacco and nicotine under the ambit of the Drugs Act. According to IMA general secretary Prem Aggarwal, IMA has urged that products containing tobacco and nicotine, which are harmful to the health in many ways, should be sold only through the chemists route and be prescribed by doctors. Currently, these products like cigarettes, etc are sold at the retail end and are available at kirana shops.
IMA is a body of medical practitioners which regularly holds camps for health check-ups, blood donation and disease control. It is also instrumental in implementing numerous projects in co-ordination with international agencies like UNDP, UNICEF, World Bank, WHO, etc.
Copyright © 1999 Indian Express Newspapers (Bombay) Ltd.
------------------------------------------------------------
This story was printed from Net Express located at http://www.expressindia.com. Net Express provides a portal to India, with news from The Indian Express and The Financial Express along with sites on travel and tourism, the entertainment industry, the power sector, the environment and much more.
------------------------------------------------------------