Salma Hayek teams up with Pampers and UNICEF for “One Pack = One Vaccine” global initiative

Salma Hayek isn’t taking her now role as a mom lightly! She’s so grateful for her daughter, Valentina Paloma’s health that she has teamed up with Pampers to help ensure mom’s all over the world can get access to life-saving vaccinations. The campaign, "One Pack = One Vaccine," is part of a global initiative with UNICEF that works to provide tetanus vaccinations for moms in developing nations worldwide. Salma serves as the North American ambassador for the Pampers/UNICEFpartnership in the U.S. and Canada to help raise awareness of thisprogram in TV commercials, print and online ads, as well as personal appearances. She will be paid an undisclosed honorarium for her participation.

Salma says,

In our own small way, this is an opportunity for moms like me here in North America to help other mothers on a global level. I’m honored to work with Pampers and UNICEF to help raise awareness of this important program.

Pamperslogo_2From April 1 through June 30, 2008, for every specially marked pack of Pampers product purchased in the U.S. and Canada, Pampers will provide UNICEF with funding for one tetanus vaccine for a mother in need worldwide. The participating products include the Pampers Stages diapers and wipes: Swaddlers, Swaddlers Sensitive, Cruisers and Easy Ups diapers, and Sensitive Wipes, Swipers and Clean n’ Go Wipes.

The immensely successful program, which launched in 2006 in the UK and expanded in 2007 to other countries in Western Europe, and debuts in the U.S. and Canada in spring 2008, has already helped provide UNICEF with funding for more than 25 million life-saving tetanus vaccines distributed throughout Africa and Asia. The goal for the North American campaign is to provide at least 27 million more vaccines, which would bring the total global donations to more than 50 million vaccines.

Caryl Stern, President and CEO of the U.S. Fund for UNICEF, explains why providing access to the vaccine is so important,

Childhood immunization is routine in the United States, but each year 140,000 infants and 30,000 women in developing countries die from tetanus – a life threatening, but preventable disease which can be contracted during childbirth. While significant progress has been made – last year Egypt and Zambia marked the elimination of tetanus – the disease is still a threat to women and children in more than 45 countries. I applaud Salma and Pampers for joining UNICEF in the fight against tetanus and helping us to move closer to our goal of completely eliminating the disease.