Dettol, Wellbeing Foundation Africa Partner On Hygiene Education In Schools

Posted by Eric Ojo Latest Headlines, News Across Nigeria Saturday, October 15th, 2022

(AFRICAN EXAMINER) – Global hygiene company, Reckitt through its Dettol brand in Nigeria has joined forces with leading non-governmental organization, Wellbeing Foundation Africa (WBFA) to accelerate the promotion Hygiene education in schools, communities, and healthcare facilities across Nigeria.

The strategic move aims to good hygiene practices in healthcare facilities using the Dettol Hygiene Quest Curriculum, is a collaboration which also coincides with the 2022 Global Handwashing Day campaign.

The public presentation and official flag off of the Partnership, was held on Thursday in Lagos State. In attendance were representatives from the Federal Ministry of Health, the State Basic Education Fund, leaders from both organizations, stakeholders in the health and education sectors from Lagos state, Kwara state and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja.

The Dettol Hygiene Quest curriculum aims to educate, empower and inspire 6 million school children to practice healthy hygiene habits, to achieve a 20 percent increase in hand washing incidence, reduce diarrhea cases by 10 percent and achieve a 10 percent decline in absenteeism by 2025.

In the pilot programme amongst public schools in 20 Local Government Areas (LGAs) within Lagos State, the curriculum reached over 85,000 school children, and results from the Impact assessment showed a 34 percent increase in knowledge of proper handwashing, and a 7 percent reduction in diarrhoea amongst the participants after the intervention.

Over the next 12 months, Dettol Nigeria in partnership with the WBFA, will be accelerating the Hygiene Quest’s programme in the FCT, Abuja, Lagos and Kwara State with the aim to educate and aid behaviour change in children’s hygiene habits and reduce the incidence of illness and sick days from school. This in turn will have a profound, generational, impact on health, education, and development.

While commenting on the partnership, the Head of External Communications and Partnerships, Reckitt Sub-Saharan Africa, Cassandra Uzo-Ogbugh expressed the company’s optimism for the partnership.

Uzo-Ogbugh, who on behalf of the General Manager, Reckitt Sub Saharan Africa, Akbar Ali Shah said: “At Reckitt, we are driven by our purpose, which is to protect, heal and nurture in the relentless pursuit of a cleaner and healthier world. Reckitt’s commitment to Nigeria has been and continues to support efforts that promote the health and well-being of Nigerians”.

This partnership, according to her, will not only aid Reckitt’s goal of reaching 6 million Nigerian children by 2025 with behavioral changing education, it will also provide a whole new avenue for decreasing the current child mortality rate caused by hygiene related issues.

“We believe that Wellbeing Foundation Africa’s track record and goals on WASH in Nigeria make them a strategic partner with a shared vision to educate on, and prevent the transmission of hygiene related diseases”, she added.

Similarly, Wellbeing Foundation Africa National Programmes Lead, Dr. Franco Apiyanteide who delivered the opening remarks on behalf of the Founder-President of the Wellbeing Foundation Africa, Her Excellency Toyin, harped on the role the organization has been playing in the sector, over the years.

“Since its inception in 2004, The Wellbeing Foundation Africa has shown consistent leadership in the area of Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) and this is exemplified by one of our legacy programmes, the Personal, Social, and Health Education (PSHE), and WASH Education initiative started in 2018 which engaged at the dual levels of community-based interventions and WASH in Schools”

“The WBFA has gone one step further by incorporating Hygiene Quest into our flagship Mamacare Antenatal and Postnatal Education program, a platform that has to date reached over 570 hospitals, both public and private in 7 states within Nigeria States, servicing over 230,000 women.

“This will give Hygiene Quest a broader outreach through Mamacare community and health Facility networks, with the overall objective of accelerating the program to meet its ambition of reaching 6 million Nigerians by 2025” , he further explained.

Other stakeholders who were present at the official unveiling of the project include Royal Fathers, His Royal Majesty, Oba Ghalib Adeniyi, and representatives of Ministry of Health, Lagos State Waste Management Agency, Lagos State Water Regulatory Commission, National Association of Nurses and Midwives, Lagos State Primary Healthcare Board, amongst many others, who delivered goodwill messages pledging their support and collaboration to Reckitt and Wellbeing Foundation Africa on the Hygiene Quest Programme.