This 5-year target is predominantly supported by Johnson & Johnson Foundation grants facilitated by the Global Community Impact organization. We are reporting the target as off track due to a shift in our strategy in 2019 which transitions from programs reaching consumer groups directly to programs targeting front line health workers (i.e., nurses, midwives, and community health workers). We believe this transition will have greater, more far-reaching and sustainable impact on women and children’s lives in the longer term. The COVID-19 pandemic has underscored the critical needs facing our front line health workers and their unique ability to address the healthcare needs of our society, and in particular, the underserved. Our new commitment acknowledges the pivotal role that health workers play in providing essential services to these groups. As such, the programming and tracking towards the original goal are transitioning, with fewer programs directly reaching women and children and more programs reaching the health workers who serve them.
Even with this transition, by the end of the 5-year goal period we estimate that we will have reached nearly 50 million women and children with support and tools to enable a healthy future (or over 80% of the overall target).
We are proud to share that within our Global Disease Challenges goal, our VERMOX (mebendazole) Donation Program has improved the health of hundreds of millions of children. Those targets are reported separately.