Aligarh: Colgate is committed to positively impact 1.93 crore school-going children across the state through oral health education over the next few years.
Sandeep Singh, Minister of State (Independent Charge), Basic Education, Uttar Pradesh expresses his intention to integrate oral health education into school curriculum and libraries across the state.
In its continued efforts to enhance oral health, Colgate has signed an MoU with the Government of Uttar Pradesh to extend its flagship program, Colgate Bright Smiles, Bright Futures® (BSBF), to children across the state. Under this collaboration, Colgate aims to reach 50 lakh peripheral students in Uttar Pradesh in 2 years.
Sandeep Singh, Minister of State (Independent Charge) and Prabha Narasimhan, MD & CEO, Colgate-Palmolive (India) Ltd.
This landmark initiative was inaugurated which will benefit 50 lakh children by 2026 in the first phase. The occasion was graced by the presence of Shri Sandeep Singh, Minister of State (Independent Charge), Basic Education, Government of Uttar Pradesh, Dr. M.K. Shanmuga Sundaram, Principal Secretary, Department of Basic Education, Government of Uttar Pradesh and Smt. Prabha Narasimhan, MD & CEO, Colgate-Palmolive (India) Ltd.
Colgate’s Bright Smiles, Bright Futures, which means ‘Ujjwal Muskaan, Ujjwal Bhavishya’ in Hindi, is a thoughtfully designed initiative focused on promoting good oral health habits, raising awareness about tobacco prevention, good nutrition. The programme will benefit school children between the ages of 6 to 16.
The program focuses on five important objectives: the right way to brush, the importance of brushing twice a day, changing your toothbrush every three months, avoiding tobacco use, and making nutritious food choices. The complementary material which includes dental kits, brushing calendars, teacher training guides, and certificates will equip children and teachers with essential lifelong information.
Addressing the gathering at the launch event, Sandeep Singh, Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Basic Education, Government of Uttar Pradesh said, “I am very happy to join Prabha Narasimhan, the Colgate team, teachers, and students today for this program that focuses on the important objective of oral health care. We believe it is fundamental to overall health, and by partnering with Colgate, we aim to take oral health education to students and we will inculcate the importance of oral health through curriculum and libraries in all schools across the state.”
Speaking on the partnership, Prabha Narasimhan, MD & CEO, Colgate-Palmolive (India) Ltd. said, “Our goal to increase awareness and education about oral health in India is unwavering, backed by our advances in scientific research. We are extremely honoured to partner with the Government of Uttar Pradesh and are committed to connecting with all the 1.93 crore children in the state. With this, we will further our mission to bring meaningful, positive change for the children of the region. Our Colgate Bright Smiles, Bright Futures® will continue to promote healthy smiles.”
The Colgate Bright Smiles, Bright Futures® program has positively impacted over 176 million children across India with knowledge of good oral health habits since 1976.
The inaugural ceremony held in Aligarh officially marked the start of the program, and was attended by Shilpashri Muniswamma, Director – ESG & Communications, Colgate-Palmolive (India) Ltd., Ruchir Bhatnagar, Senior Director – Customer Development, Colgate-Palmolive (India) Ltd.,. Bhomik Shah, Trustee, Bharat Cares, Vikas G IAS, District Magistrate, Sanjeev Suman IPS, Senior Superintendent of Police, Anil Parashar, MLA, Rawendra Pal Singh, MLA, Raj Kumar Sahayogi MLA, Manvendra Pratap Singh, MLC, Krishanpal Singh, BJP President, Prashant Singhal, Mayor, Vijay Singh, District Panchayat President, Rakesh Singh Basic Education. and dignified presence of the officers was seen.
