According to the World Health Organization, there were an estimated 229 million cases of Malaria in 2019 causing over 400,000 deaths, most of them children. As the maker of global pest control brands like Raid, SC Johnson is all too familiar with the threats posed by Malaria. While many not-for-profit organizations joined the fight against Malaria, more effort is needed across both the government and corporate level to curb this deadly disease.

SC Johnson’s CEO Fisk Johnson traveled to East Africa, home to 95% of malaria deaths worldwide* and engaged in a practice known as ‘Human Landing Catch,’ a potentially dangerous form of research whereby volunteers for the Rwanda Ministry of Health sit overnight with skin exposed, waiting to catch malaria-laden mosquitoes that bite them, before donating them to local research centers. By filming Fisk Johnson participating in this research, we hoped to shine a spotlight on lengths that individuals will go to protect their communities from the devastating effects of malaria and raise awareness that more support is needed to eradicate the disease.

*https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/malaria#:~:text=The%20WHO%20African%20Region%20carries,malaria%20deaths%20in%2

Nearly 3/4 of consumers believe brands must act now for the good of society and the planet, yet nearly the same number of consumers have little faith that brands will deliver action against their promises . For effectiveness, we need more than messages. We need actions. Our strategy was to demonstrate SC Johnson’s commitment to eradicating Malaria by supporting and shining a spotlight on the local research methods to better understand the mosquitos that carry the disease.

In doing so, we believe that other corporate and government leaders would see Fisk Johnson’s example and act themselves by dedicating more resources to programs that could help eradicate the disease. So we created an act meant to do just that.

For more than 5 hours, SC Johnson CEO Fisk Johnson joined volunteers from the Rwanda Ministry of Health and engaged in the ‘Human Landing Catch’ method of mosquito collection to capture Malaria-laden mosquitoes. The entire process was documented, with the act released in a range of timings and formats. Airing across three continents and online through various SC Johnson and Raid social channels, ‘Human Bait’ drove awareness of the need for greater government and corporate involvement against Malaria. Fisk Johnson also promoted the film across his personal LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube accounts, further targeting global leaders who can contribute to the fight against Malaria. The film was created to highlight the urgent need for greater research, repellent equipment, donations, and health services in areas like East Africa where Malaria is most common.

This video was designed to drive awareness and is just one of many initiatives from SC Johnson to help fight the disease in East Africa. In concert with ‘Human Bait’, SC Johnson has encouraged development for people living at the base of the world’s economic pyramid.

10 New Health Clinics

In 2020, these clinics cared for over 1 million people. SC Johnson has now opened a total of 68 clinics to date in the country.

African Governments Form Action Group to End Malaria

Partners from the East African Community and government officials formed ‘The Great Lakes Malaria Initiative’ to combat Malaria, with the goal of reducing Malaria mortality by 50 percent by 2025.

WHO-Approved Household Repellent Enters Clinical Trials

Through collaborative efforts, SC JOHNSON’S innovative Mosquito SHIELD™ repellent technology will be distributed in high-risk areas, with the goal of reducing transmissions by up to 66%.