KAO Malaysia's GUARD OUR FUTURE Project Declares War on Dengue with Community Clean-Up at Selangor Dengue Hotspot

 KAO Malaysia recently joined hands with the residents of Flat PKNS Taman Dato Harun, one of Selangor's 75 dengue hotspots, in on-going efforts to tackle the dengue scourge at its source. Organised in collaboration with Petaling Jaya City Council (MBPJ), Takeda Malaysia and Impactlution, the community-wide effort follows Kao Malaysia's launch of its GUARD OUR FUTURE project in June, concurrent with the availability of its new Bioré GUARD Mos Block Serum in Malaysia.

“Dengue fever remains a persistent public health issue in Malaysia. With the rise in cases in the state of Selangor, we must work with the local community to address this serious issue together. This cleanup was part of a series of planned activities under our GUARD OUR FUTURE project, and we hope that this will mark the next significant step toward our goal of protecting the lives of Malaysians against mosquito-borne diseases,” said Mr. Nishimaki Akira, President of KAO Malaysia.

KAO Doubles Down on Its Commitment to Solving Social Issues

Back in June, KAO Malaysia announced the expansion of its GUARD OUR FUTURE project to protect future lives from mosquitoes. GUARD OUR FUTURE is centered on innovative product technology and formulation that provides a cover protection shield, keeping mosquitoes away from people's skin and thus preventing mosquito bites. Bioré GUARD Mos Block Serum, was first introduced in Thailand two years ago and launched in Singapore, Taiwan and Hong Kong this year. The new Bioré GUARD Mos Block Serum is a mosquito repellent based on a repellent technology that makes the skin surface repulsive to mosquitoes causing them to fly away before biting it - the goal is not to kill mosquitoes, but to reduce the infection caused by mosquitoes by protecting the skin. 

In line with KAO's commitment to solving social issues according to its vision to protect future lives, the mosquito repellent joins its Bioré brand lineup of products that protects skin from a variety of environmental stress factors like UV rays, intense heat and infectious diseases. As part of GUARD OUR FUTURE in Malaysia, KAO Malaysia has pledged to match a donation of Bioré GUARD Mos Block Serum units with the number of active dengue fever cases in the state of Selangor in 2023. This will add up to over 61,080 units of the product worth RM15.90 per 50g unit, amounting to RM971,172 in total. 

Together with this latest community clean-up effort, KAO Malaysia is thus committed to following through on its multi-faceted approach to fighting dengue fever in Malaysia, as part of its ESG strategy. Dubbed the Kirei Lifestyle Plan (KLP), KAO’s ESG strategy describes ambitious goals for the future and provides a detailed direction for activities focusing on consumers. While the Bioré GUARD Mos Block Serum focuses on preventing mosquitoes from landing on the skin, its community-level activities aim to reduce the burden of dengue fever by creating a more sustainable environment.

Cleaning-Up Together with Partners and the Local Community

A 100-strong turnout comprising volunteers from KAO Malaysia, MBPJ, Takeda Malaysia, Impactlution and the local community were briefed and allocated cleanup tools such as trash pickers, gloves, and garbage disposal bags. The cleanup commenced at around 9AM, and participants were seen being hard at work, whether it be identifying potential breeding sites, or clearing stagnant water.

Impactlution, one of the partners involved in the clean-up effort, is an Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) consulting firm specialising in community and environmental projects. Representatives from the company gave a short talk after the clean-up to raise awareness on waste management and its impact on the Aedes mosquito population, while a MBPJ representative followed up with a brief rundown on the importance of promoting dengue education and awareness. Takeda, a global healthcare company, has joined the fight against dengue by offering educational talks on symptoms and management. With the recent availability of its dengue vaccine in Malaysia, Takeda has pledged to work with the public, private, and local communities to help reduce the burden of dengue. To round off the day, a donation of Bioré GUARD Mos Block Serums was made by KAO Malaysia to the Flat PKNS Taman Dato Harun community. 

About Bioré GUARD Mos Block Serum’s Product Technology 

The new Bioré GUARD Mos Block Serum is a mosquito repellent based on a repellent technology that makes the skin surface repulsive to mosquitoes. Focusing on the actions of mosquitoes when they land on the skin, KAO has developed a non-greasy mosquito repellent with a light texture similar to body lotion that can expand widely and provide coverage on skin, as if having protection skin shield to protect from mosquitoes. 

The product protects against mosquitoes without being sticky and is as comfortable to apply as serum. By preventing mosquitoes from landing or staying on the skin at all, the technology’s mechanism differs from that of conventional insect repellents which typically uses volatile active ingredients consumers may be sensitive to such as diethyltoluamide (DEET) or Picaridin. 

The new Bioré GUARD Mos Block Serum offers up to 8 hours of protection and will be available in two delightful fragrances (Fresh Lavender and Sweet Blossom) at a Recommended Retail Price of RM24.90 for a 100g tube. Bioré GUARD Mos Block Serum will be available for purchase at major pharmacies and retailers nationwide.