L'Institut des sciences et de la santé de Procter & Gamble a développé "PuR Water", un produit qui permet de rendre l'eau potable même dans les conditions les plus difficiles.

Le communiqué de presse de Procter & Gamble

Contact: Edelman London, UK
+44 20 7344 1561/1265 (Eleanor Conroy/Henrietta Mackenzie)
Ignition Strategic Communications, Washington DC, US
+1 512 751 5309

PROMISING NEW TECHNOLOGY PROVEN EFFECTIVE IN PURIFYING WATER FOR THE DEVELOPING WORLD

London, 19 June 2003 – The Procter & Gamble Health Sciences Institute, in collaboration with the International Council of Nurses (ICN) and the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), announced today that a new product has been developed, tested and proven effective in providing clean drinking water for people in the developing world.

The product, called PuR Water Purifier, developed by the Procter & Gamble Health Sciences Institute, has been shown to significantly reduce diarrheal illness in two health intervention trials. The CDC conducted the trials in Guatemala in 2001-2003. “We estimate that 5,000 children die every day because of diarrheal illness,” said Steve Luby MD, Medical Epidemiologist with the CDC. “If we can get people to use products like PuR to decontaminate water in their homes and store it safely, we can reduce the incidence of diarrhea and illness and save thousands of lives.”

2 / PROMISING NEW TECHNOLOGY continues

Studies appearing today in the Journal of Water and Health demonstrate that PuR significantly removes pathogenic bacteria, viruses, and parasites from water. PuR has the same ingredients used in large scale water treatment facilities, but has been reverseengineered to purify water in the home. The PuR process is simple. Mixing the contents of one small ketchup-sized packet into a container of water separates the dirt and other contaminants from the water within minutes. The water is then filtered through a cloth to provide cleaner, safer water.

“PuR acts like a dirt magnet. The research and testing clearly show that it works.” said Greg Allgood PhD, Associate Director of the P&G Health Sciences Institute. “We are working on approaches to reach the people who need the product, including providing PuR for preparing drinking water in emergency situations.”

“The PuR technology is potentially powerful because it offers an effective tool for people in the developing world to help themselves and improve their health,” said Christine Hancock RD, President of the International Council of Nurses. “The product is unique in providing a strong visual signal that the water is getting cleaner. PuR does require education and training from health care workers like nurses because people have to see it to believe it.”

P&G is in discussions with relief agencies about providing product for emergency water use. For example, the International Rescue Committee has purchased enough PuR to provide 3.5 million liters of drinking water for people in Iraq.

3 / PROMISING NEW TECHNOLOGY continues

Because of the global need and proven health benefits of clean drinking water, the P&G Health Sciences Institute, the CDC, and the International Council of Nurses have joined with 20 other organizations to establish an International Network to Promote Safe Household Water Treatment and Storage. In addition, the ICN and the P&G Health Sciences Institute have developed a safe water initiative to educate nurses and people in the developing world on the health benefits of treating water and storing it safely in the home.

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About P&G
The P&G Health Sciences Institute is dedicated to identifying, developing, and using leading health care technologies in the development of effective products for both the developing and developed world (www.pghsi.com). Two billion times a day, P&G brands touch the lives of people around the world. P&G brands in over 160 countries around the world include: Vicks®, Pampers®, Tide®, Ariel®, Always®, Whisper®, Pantene®, Bounty®, Pringles®, Folgers®, Charmin®, Downy®, Lenor®, Iams®, Crest®, Actonel®, Olay® and Clairol Nice ‘n Easy®. The P&G community consists of nearly 102,000 employees working in almost 80 countries worldwide (www.pg.com).

About ICN
The International Council of Nurses is a federation of 124 national nurses' associations representing millions of nurses worldwide. Operated by nurses for nurses since 1899,ICN is the international voice of nursing and works to ensure quality care for all and sound health policies globally.

About CDC
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), located in Atlanta, Georgia, USA, is an agency of the US Department of Health and Human Services. CDC protects people's health and safety by preventing and controlling diseases and injuries; enhances health decisions by providing credible information on critical health issues; and promotes healthy living through strong partnerships with local, national, and international organizations.

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