As the monsoon season arrives, it not only brings with it rain but also the onset of tropical diseases such as viral fever, common colds, Malaria, Dengue, Typhoid, Hepatitis and Diarrhoea¹ across South and Southeast Asia. Extreme weather events driven by climate change have also caused the region to brace for one of the worst monsoon seasons in recent history, as damages to the sanitation and hygiene infrastructure lead to a surge in breeding grounds for diseases.

Furthermore, communities’ health is being endangered for months to come, as countries such as India and Indonesia only have nine and five doctors for every 10,000 patients, respectively.

Bridging the healthcare gap

With lives across Asia at risk during the monsoon season, the world’s fourth most consumed brand, Lifebuoy is using its product packaging and commercials to connect millions to telehealth services across South and Southeast Asia. In order to help affected individuals living in rural communities to access proper healthcare, Lifebuoy has collaborated with established local telehealth partners such as Practo in India and HaloDoc in Indonesia, effectively allowing and providing free healthcare access to millions. Since 2020, Lifebuoy’s telehealth service has reached the following regions:

A campaign to promote Lifebuoy’s “Doctor Anywhere” telehealth partnership in Vietnam reached 10 million people
In Indonesia, 3 million Lifebuoy packs with telehealth partners details have been distributed nationwide to build awareness
Lifebuoy reached more than 25 million people in India, resulting in their telehealth partner registering almost 25,000 calls in one month

Currently, the service is in five countries across Asia – India, Indonesia, Bangladesh, Pakistan and Vietnam. Individuals are able to access the free telehealth services by calling the number or scanning the QR code from any of Lifebuoy’s packaging and commercials.

Reference:

¹https://www.practo.com/healthfeed/monsoons-and-health-common-ailments-and-prevention-23962/post

Images: Lifebuoy