Run for Maternity Ward in Aranđelovac

Pernod Ricard supports “Battle for Maternity Wards”

Belgrade, April 14^th, 2019 - Pernod Ricard employees took part in the 32^nd Belgrade marathon, with a symbolic run to raise money for the donation to the Fund B92 initiative „Battle for Maternity Wards”.  This is the 4^th consecutive year for the company to donate equipment to the B92 Fund. This time, thanks to this symbolic gesture of Pernod Ricard team, a hospital in Aranđelovac will receive a phototherapy light for treatment of neonatal jaundice.  

The running team, composed of Pernod Ricard employees, joined forces to raise funds for this valuable donation, which will officially be delivered to the hospital in the upcoming period. This year, in addition to employees from Serbia, Pernod Ricard employees from Bulgaria also took part in this initiative. Pernod Ricard hopes to save many young lives by donating to hospitals equipment that is lacking.

Phototherapy is the use of visible light to treat severe jaundice in the neonatal period. Approximately 60% of term babies and 85% preterm babies will develop clinically apparent jaundice, which classically becomes visible on day 3, peaks days 5-7 and resolves by 14 days of age in a term infant and by 21 days in a preterm infant.

Treatment with phototherapy is implemented in order to prevent the neurotoxic effects of high serum unconjugated bilirubin. Phototherapy is a safe, effective method for decreasing or preventing the rise of serum unconjugated bilirubin levels and reduces the need for exchange transfusion in neonates.

In the previous years, Pernod Ricard donated a mobile incubator to hospital in Jagodina in 2016, a hospital in Subotica received 3 CTG devices in 2017 and last year, the General Hospital in Čačak received a patient monitor with ECG as well as a neonatal aspirator.

“Battle for Maternity Wards” is a project launched by Fund B92 with a mission to help hospitals and medical centers in Serbia with necessary medical equipment. Battle for Maternity Wards will continue until all the maternity wards in Serbia are fully equipped and operational.

Pernod Ricard believes that, in order to avoid any risk, pregnant women must not drink alcohol at all and should be advised not to do so. As one of the founding members of the European Alcohol & Health Forum, created to implement the EU strategy to support Member States in reducing alcohol related harm, the Group Pernod Ricard has committed in 2007 to extend the logo dissuading pregnant women from drinking alcohol imposed by law in France in 2006, to all labels of wine & spirit bottles it sells in the European Union. In 2013 the company decided to extend the pregnancy logo worldwide which is effective as of 2017.