Essential Talks

With the restrictions brought about by the pandemic, we can see that the behaviors of many people have changed for the better. After having been more or less forced to live more sustainably, the Green Response Survey shows that people are keen to keep these habits as we move towards a ‘new normal’. How do we make sure that these new habits stick? What can big companies do to not only encourage people to live a greener life, but to give them the means necessary? And is sustainability really a young person’s game? Find the answers to these questions and more, in this episode of Essential Talks.

When the pandemic hit the world, most of society came to a halt. But not our demand for goods, especially hygiene goods. All along the supply chain it became just like Christmas season overnight. But not in a good way. A demand usually planned and prepared for months in advance, now had to be met in a day. In this episode, we look behind the curtains and meet the men and women making sure the shelves are fully stocked even in unprecedented times. We also look into how smart innovations pave the way for the future of logistics.

Antibiotics are one of the most important types of antibacterial agents for fighting bacterial infections. However, Sir Alexander Fleming – who discovered penicillin, the world's first antibiotic – warned the world that misuse of antibiotics would possibly lead to resistant bacterias. Today, we know he was right. A fight we cannot afford to lose is occurring right now. In this episode we look into how wound prevention and skincare can save lives and help in the battle against resistant bacterias.

The pandemic has affected us all, and age has proven to be a distinctive risk factor. Over the past year, the need for change in elderly care has become clear. In this episode, we explore how new and digitized healthcare technology transforms elderly care on a global scale. Specifically regarding continence care. Nurses and care giving relatives share first hand perspectives on how this, rarely spoken about, topic affects both patients and caregivers, and how next generation healthcare technology, such as TENA SmartCare, drastically improves elderly care.

Women’s health has often been side-lined and seen as a niche area – even though it affects half of the global population. This has led women’s specific conditions to be misdiagnosed and misunderstood. However, the tides are changing. Over the last years, female-focused tech startups designed to support women’s health have entered the health care stage. It has become clear – the future is femtech.

How can interpreting data keep people hygienic? In a time of never before seen hygienic awareness, smart and data driven machines like Tork EasyCube® are working with us to ensure safer and more efficient handling of hygiene supplies and cleaning processes.

In 2021, “circularity” is a buzzword and 46 % of people say that they consider the product’s environmental effect when purchasing hygiene products. But to reach this level of awareness has taken time. A lot of modern ideas, such as the circular product Tork PaperCircle, were first introduced at the 1994 Winter Olympic in Lillehammer – now known as the first green games. A reality today, but it took time for the Tork PaperCircle to catch on. Why? What has changed since 1994, and is it possible to nudge people towards a more sustainable thinking?

In the second season of Essential Talks we shed light on the innovations changing health and hygiene. We show why there are still reasons to be optimistic, despite the challenges facing people, patients, and society today.

Season finale. So far, we’ve talked about COVID-19 as well as stigmas revolving menstruation, incontinence and hand hygiene. In the final episode of the season, we dive into the world of toilets. Finding an accessible and clean bathroom can be a challenge. And even if we find one, it is not something we usually are longing to use since public toilets are often associated with poor hygiene standards. Shouldn’t accessible and clean toilets be a fundamental human right? Can we demand hygienic public toilets from the places we visit?

Hand hygiene has been on everyone’s mind this year and we are more than ever aware of our hands. In fact, 68% of us have changed the way we wash our hands due to the spread of COVID-19. In this episode, we travel back to Vienna in 1847 to get acquainted with obstetrician Ignaz Semmelweis – known as the father of hand hygiene. We also discuss the future of the handshake.