Colgate-Palmolive partners with WHO Foundation to globalize oral health education
The initiative addresses barriers affecting nearly half the world’s population, where oral health is often neglected due to socioeconomic factors, low health literacy, and limited access.
GLOBAL – Colgate-Palmolive has launched a four-year global partnership with the WHO Foundation to advance oral health initiatives in support of the World Health Organization’s efforts.
This collaboration focuses on expanding education, integrating oral health into national systems, and elevating its status as a public health priority.
The initiative targets three key areas: scaling oral health education by embedding prevention principles into government infrastructure, such as school health programs, in select regions; aiding policy development through research to deliver cost-effective recommendations to ministries of health; and boosting awareness through global cross-sector efforts to highlight oral health’s impact.
Ram Raghavan, President of Enterprise Oral Care at Colgate-Palmolive, highlighted the company’s purpose to foster healthier futures, stating, “At Colgate-Palmolive, we are driven by our purpose to reimagine a healthier future for all – and to make more smiles. We’re launching this collaboration with the WHO Foundation, given its unique position to support global health challenges and Colgate’s leadership position in oral health as the brand that’s in more homes than any other,2”
“Oral health is a critical, and too often overlooked, part of the global health agenda. We are committed to elevating oral health as a public health priority by scaling prevention and education and supporting evidence-based solutions that help strengthen health systems and improve lives across communities around the world.”
Oral health underpins overall well-being but receives insufficient attention in many health systems, leading to issues like pain, emotional distress, and educational disruptions for children, including absenteeism and concentration problems.
The partnership aligns with recent UN recognition of oral health in noncommunicable disease prevention, emphasizing public-private collaboration for global health goals.
Colgate-Palmolive builds on its legacy, with the Bright Smiles, Bright Futures program having reached about two billion children and families worldwide since 1991.
Meanwhile, Hello recently launched its innovative Whipped Toothpaste range to target Gen Z consumers by transforming oral care into a playful, sensorial experience.
It comes in flavours like Mellow Mint Dream and Peppermint Stick, which deliver gentle, delightful mintiness that prioritizes taste and tactile joy, enhancing the overall brushing ritual.
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