The need for preventive care for children is greater than ever, particularly in areas where health services are scarce. With the aim to offer support to underprivileged children, the Johnson & Johnson Corporate Citizenship Trust has partnered up with the Johnson & Johnson Family of Companies in Greece to launch the Smile of the Child initiative. Beyond preventive healthcare services, the programme concentrates on providing health education to parents and children on matters ranging from disease and treatment to prevention. Health examinations and high-quality treatment are also part of the scheme.

In 2015, the Smile of the Child amplified its reach to include communities living in isolated Greek islands with limited access to healthcare services. At the same time its treatment offerings expanded to cover vaccinations and fluoridation.

Mobile medical clinics staffed with more than 1,500 volunteers with volunteer health professionals, social workers and community members deliver the services in the remote areas. By the end of 2015, the partnership had made a difference for 95,701 children and their families across Greece. Johnson & Johnson spent more than a quarter of a million euros on the project between 2013 and 2015 and have committed a third of a million for the 2016-2017 programme.

Smile of the Child is one of roughly 30 partnerships supported by the Johnson & Johnson Corporate Citizenship Trust in the EMEA region. The Trust aims to make a long-term difference to human health in three core areas: saving and improving the lives of women and children, preventing disease in vulnerable populations and strengthening the healthcare workforce.