In collaboration with the Wellbeing Foundation Africa (WBFA), Dettol Nigeria has organized an event to publicly unveil the results of its Impact assessment derived from the 2022/2023 Dettol Hygiene Quest educational initiative across schools, communities, and healthcare facilities.
During the event, student ambassadors were appointed, and they will continue to spearhead hygiene education within their schools with the support of their teachers. Based on a recent WASHNORM report by the Minister of Water Resources, the adoption of safe hand washing practices is only observed by 8% of the population. With Nigeria’s population exceeding 200 million, these statistics are alarming, particularly considering that children under 5 years old are disproportionately affected by diseases like diarrhea and cholera. This emphasizes the crucial nature of this conversation.
In this phase, Dettol Nigeria and the Wellbeing Foundation Africa extended the Hygiene Quest curriculum to three states across Nigeria, spanning schoolchildren, households in communities, and pregnant women in healthcare facilities over a span of 10 months.
Addressing the initiative, Cassandra Uzo-Ogbugh, Head of External Communications and Partnerships at Reckitt Sub-Saharan Africa, revealed, “Our Impact assessment conducted through our partners, Slum and Rural Health Initiative, reveals several positive outcomes. Notably, we achieved a 31.9% increase in excellent handwashing knowledge among schoolchildren, a 40.9% increase in excellent handwashing and hygiene practices among community members, and a significant 38.6% increase in excellent hygiene knowledge among pregnant women in healthcare facilities.” She further highlighted that in the pilot phase of the HygieneQuest in Nigeria in 2021, there was a substantial impact, including a 34% knowledge enhancement in proper handwashing and a 7% reduction in diarrhea cases among participants after the intervention.
Expressing optimism for the partnership, she thanked various stakeholders who played pivotal roles in these accomplishments. She reiterated the commitment of Reckitt to support initiatives that promote the health and well-being of Nigerians, in line with their purpose of creating a cleaner and healthier world.
Notwithstanding these impressive results, the determination to promote hygiene education remains steadfast. Dettol’s aspiration in Nigeria is to reach 6 million school children with the Hygiene Quest curriculum by 2025, underscoring their ongoing dedication.
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