PRESS INFORMATION | 20 November 2010
>>Download PDF: press-info-colalife-22112010.pdf (184 KB)
>> Tom Lee | Email4tlee@me.com | 07976124632 | Images available on request
AidPod will deliver essential medicines to children in developing countries
Invitation to attend launch event, 1900hrs, 1st December, BFI, London.
Children in developing countries will soon have local direct access to essential medicines through a transformative pilot from ColaLife. ColaLife has designed an ‘AidPod’ (collaboratively with input from online followers) to fit between bottles in Coca-Cola crates. Inside this ‘AidPod’ will be simple medicines such as oral rehydration salts. The first trial takes place in Zambia in early 2011. www.colalife.org
20% of children die in Africa before their 5th birthdays from preventable diseases such as dehydration or diarrhoea – a mortality rate that has not significantly changed in three decades. If there is a health clinic in rural areas, they have on average only 38% of the basic medicines needed, yet this is a continent where it is possible to buy Coca-Cola virtually everywhere, even in very remote places. ColaLife founder Simon Berry had the idea of linking the two together and using the Coca-Cola distribution network as a means of getting much needed supplies out to the people that really need them. The result is the ‘AidPod’, which is designed to fit between bottles in crates; giving local agencies an affordable way to ‘piggy-back’ on established supply chains.
Widespread support
Since the campaign started on Facebook in 2008, it has gained over 15,000 friends and fans online, has been featured on the plinth in Trafalgar Square and has attracted interest from politicians, academics and Coca-Cola itself. Rt Hon Hilary Benn MP, UK Secretary of State for International Development from 2003-2007 said in November 2010 “ColaLife is a really imaginative, practical and worthwhile project which aims to help save people’s lives.
Zambia trial
The initial support for the campaign led to the designing of the AidPods, which will now be manufactured in time for the first pilot in Zambia. However, ColaLife’s Simon Berry says this is just the beginning: “The success of this pilot will pave the way for us to repeat and scale this project throughout Africa and the developing world,” says Mr Berry. “Local people will be able determine the contents of the AidPods that arrive in their communities.”
Event Invitation
Details will be announced at the first ColaLife Christmas event hosted at the British Film Institute on 1 December, 1900hrs, where journalists, friends and followers will have a chance to find out about the ground breaking trial project and future directions for ColaLife. Tickets are available via http://colalife.eventbrite.com/
Journalists are invited to attend ColaLife’s Christmas reception (the event funded by ColaLife fans). For free press passes contact Tom Lee. Email4tlee@me.com 07976124632
Ends
Further information for media
- More information about ColaLife and images can be found here www.colalife.org/press
- ColaLife trial plans with audio: http://www.colalife.org/2010/11/09/the-starting-point-for-the-colalife-pilot/
- Facebook fan page http://facebook.com/colalife
- Facebook group http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=18947780476
- Twitter address @colalife
