For Immediate Release
October 14, 2020
LIXIL Group Corporation

LIXIL Signs MOU with USAID, Collaborates With RB and UNICEF toImprove Sanitation and Hygiene in Communities Ahead of GlobalHandwashing Day
Tokyo, Japan – In the run-up to Global Handwashing Day on October 15, LIXIL Group Corporation(“LIXIL”, TSE Code: 5938) announced it will work with three global change-makers to improve sanitationand hand-hygiene in the world. LIXIL has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (“MOU”) with theUnited States Agency for International Development (“USAID”) to develop the sanitation and hygienemarket, will partner with Reckitt Benckiser (RB) to provide 500,000 bars of Dettol soap with its SATO Tap
for developing markets, and advocate for building a sustainable sanitation and hygiene market withUNICEF.
In June 2020, LIXIL announced the SATO Tap, an affordable solution
designed for homes and facilities without access to running water.
Applying LIXIL’s strong design and engineering expertise and technicalinput from its partners, including UNICEF and their insight into lowincome communities, the SATO Tap is a versatile solution that can beadapted easily for households without access to running water. It can be
fitted with a wide variety of plastic bottles easily available in developing
countries to serve as water tanks, releasing a steady stream of water –enough to wash one’s hands but conserve water – and limiting direct contact with hands to turn it onand off.
“Three billion people today do not have access to handwashing facilities in their home. Through thepower of partnership and collaboration with the public and private sectors, we can help to build thepolicies, products, supply chains and services needed to build a sustainable sanitation and hygiene
market that will reach underserved communities. LIXIL is proud to contribute to improving sanitation andhygiene for all, and we aim to bring lasting change with partners who share the same goal,” said Kinya
Seto, CEO of LIXIL.
Washing hands with soap before eating or after going to the toilet can reduce the risk of getting diarrhea
among children by 40%. In 2018, diarrhea accounted for approximately 8% of all deaths among children
under the age of five.¹ The inequities in access to water, sanitation, and hygiene are today further
exposed and strained at a time when washing hands with soap and water can help contain the spread of
COVID-19 and save lives.
¹ Infographic Get the facts on handwashing: https://www.unicef.org/stories/infographic-get-facts-handwashing
Diarrhoea: https://data.unicef.org/topic/child-health/diarrhoeal-disease/1|P a g e

By working together with USAID, RB and UNICEF, LIXIL expands its cooperative network in both the
public and private sectors as part of its drive to improve the livelihoods of 100 million people throughsanitation and hygiene solutions by 2025.
LIXIL and USAID sign MOU to develop sanitation and hygiene markets
LIXIL and USAID, an independent US Federal Government Agency that supports international
development and humanitarian efforts, have signed an MOU on October 13 to collaborate on improving
access to sanitation and hygiene in developing markets.
USAID co-leads the US government’s efforts to implement the Water for the World Act in partnershipwith the Department of State. By 2022, the Agency seeks to provide 15 million people with sustainable
access to safe drinking water services and eight million people with sustainable access to sanitation
services.
Future collaboration will also aim to strengthen sanitation supply chains and markets and create business
opportunities for women entrepreneurs and small- and medium-sized enterprises in emerging
economies. This new partnership leverages the unique expertise, resources and reach of USAID and LIXIL
to further their joint mission to strengthen sanitation and hygiene among the most vulnerable
populations around the world.
LIXIL and RB’s Dettol partner to promote effective handwashing with soap
The partners will work together to bundle LIXIL’s SATO Tap with 500,000 bars of Dettol soap, a global
leading germ protection brand. The combination of a mobile handwashing station with soap will help
households that do not have access to running water keep their hands hygienically clean. Bundled
products will be first made available in the coming months in markets such as India, Kenya, and Tanzania.
Strengthen current partnership with UNICEF to further promote handwashing
LIXIL and UNICEF have focused on improving access to basic sanitation in three focus countries, Ethiopia,Kenya and Tanzania, through the Make a Splash! partnership. With the launch of the SATO Tap, LIXIL andUNICEF expanded the partnership activities in response to COVID-19 to promote immediate andsustained handwashing behavior in communities. These activities range from collection of commercial
and behavioral insights to strengthen behavior change campaigns, joint advocacy to promote hygiene
programming, and maximizing existing public and private sector networks and supply chains to expand
access to handwashing facilities. The partners will begin conducting joint field trials of the SATO Tap forhouseholds and local retailers that extend beyond the three countries to five, including India andBangladesh.
As a maker of pioneering water and housing products, LIXIL has provided innovative products andservices to improve sanitation and hygiene. Through its partnership network, it strives to also develop asustainable market ecosystem, helping to make better homes a reality for everyone, everywhere.

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Learn more on LIXIL’s CR Commitments, here.

-EndAbout LIXIL
LIXIL makes pioneering water and housing products that solve everyday, real-life challenges, making better homes a reality
for everyone, everywhere. Drawing on our Japanese heritage, we create world-leading technology and innovate to makehigh quality products that transform homes. But the LIXIL difference is how we do this; through meaningful design, an
entrepreneurial spirit, a dedication to improving accessibility for all, and responsible business growth. Our approach comesto life through industry leading brands, including INAX, GROHE, American Standard, and TOSTEM. Over 70,000 colleagues
operating in more than 150 countries are proud to make products that touch the lives of more than a billion people everyday.
LIXIL Group Corporation (TSE Code: 5938) is the listed holding company for LIXIL’s portfolio of businesses.

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