Buying diapers can save lives

Dubai: A large pack of diapers sold in the GCC is literally a life-saver, as each sale means a newborn will be immunised against tetanus, better known as lockjaw.

Pampers and Unicef on Tuesday teamed up to raise four million vaccines from sales of the diapers in GCC countries during August and September. This is the first time the campaign is being held in the GCC.

Tarek Shayya, chief of fundraising and partnerships at Unicef-Gulf, told a press conference that the vaccines raised from the sales would go to Sudan, Nigeria and Pakistan.

"The vaccines would be delivered through health clinics. In areas that don't have health clinics, we will deliver the vaccines through the Ministry of Health and NGOs," he said.

Unicef estimates more than 250,000 newborns die each year from tetanus in developing countries.