Hygiene and Health

Every day, millions of people refrain from going to work or school or taking part in social events because of hygiene and health-related concerns. We seek to change this by driving public policy change and empowering people to address hygiene barriers. Through our work, we play an important role in improving well-being in areas where gender, generational divides and variable abilities may constitute barriers to living a full and active life. 

Through Essity’s initiatives, global education programs, and partnerships, we initiate dialog and raise awareness around unspoken issues, perceived societal stigmas and the physical implications of menstruation, incontinence, lymphedema, phlebology, and personal and public hygiene. One example is our #bloodnormal campaign, which aims to call time on period taboos and ensure that more women and girls can continue their activities during menstruation and menopause by challenging stigmas. Another campaign is TENA #lastlonelymenopause, which aims to break stigma and enable conversation to increase inclusivity.   

At Essity, we develop the hygiene and health solutions of tomorrow. We believe that preventive and self-care measures are important to tackle challenges related to an increasing global population and growing health care budget needs. We work with hand hygiene, cleaning, wound care, solutions for chronic conditions, caretaking of family members, incontinence management and digital solutions. In parallel, we work with health promotion and  to enable care systems and models to allow for this.  

For a number of years, Essity has collaborated with UNICEF in Mexico under the alliance “Hygiene is our right”. This initiative seeks to raise awareness about the importance of hand washing, to provide greater access to clean and safe toilets, and to empower girls and adolescents to challenge myths and negative behaviors surrounding menstrual hygiene.  

This initiative has had significant impact on educational participation by providing access to water, hygiene and sanitation in schools in Mexico. When children and adolescents are not absent due to illness or lack of hygiene infrastructure, they can spend more time studying and remain in school longer. This shows that health and hygiene are fundamental to guarantee the right to education, especially menstruating adolescents.  

In 2022, this partnership was renewed for three more years, which will allow Essity and UNICEF to continue working in the short, medium and long term to guarantee the right to hygiene, health, and quality education in Mexico.  

Read more about our partnerships