Dettol, Wellbeing Foundation Africa Partner To Provide Hygiene Education

Through its Dettol brand in Nigeria, Reckitt and the Wellbeing Foundation Africa (WBFA) have partnered to accelerate hygiene education in schools, communities, and healthcare facilities.

The partners will be using the Dettol Hygiene Quest Curriculum, a collaboration that also coincides with the 2022 Global Handwashing Day campaign.

The public presentation and official flag off the partnership were recently held in Lagos State and were attended by 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 FCT, Abuja.

The Dettol Hygiene Quest curriculum aims to educate, empower and inspire six million school children to practice healthy hygiene habits, 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.

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In the pilot program amongst public schools in 20 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 seven percent reduction in diarrhoea among the participants after the intervention.

Over the next 12 months, Dettol Nigeria in partnership with the WBFA will be accelerating the Hygiene Quest’s program 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.

Speaking on the partnership at the event, Head of External Communications and Partnerships, Reckitt Sub-Saharan Africa, Cassandra Uzo-Ogbugh, on behalf of the General Manager, Reckitt Sub Saharan Africa, Akbar Ali Shah, expressed the company’s optimism for the partnership.

“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.

Dr. Franco Apiyanteide, the Wellbeing Foundation Africa National Programs Lead, also spoke at the event and delivered the opening remarks on behalf of the Founder-President of the Wellbeing Foundation Africa, Her Excellency Toyin, Ojora Saraki.