Reckitt Benckiser, the global health, hygiene and home care products manufacturer, has enumerated the various contributions of its flagship brand, Dettol, to the delivery of healthcare in Nigeria over the past five decades of its presence in the country.
A member of the Global Hygiene Council, Dr. (Mrs.) Nneoma Idika, spoke on behalf of the company, during the scientific session at the recent 54th Annual General Conference and Delegates Meeting of the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA) in Benin, Edo State.
In her presentation titled, ‘Dettol’s Contribution to Health and Hygiene in its 50 years in Nigeria’, Idika noted that, since its launch 50 years ago, Dettol has been part of the national efforts to improve healthcare delivery in the country by amplifying the benefits of hygiene promotion.
‘‘Hygiene promotion has become increasingly important to public health policy makers as a low cost illness reduction strategy,’’ she said.
Idika further highlighted some Reckitt Benckiser’s corporate social responsibility initiatives, one of which is the Dettol hygiene contact programme,which has benefitted over one million new mothers and over three million children from 1,000 schools in Nigeria since 2009.
“Over 1,000 public and private schools have been touched in the last three years, in collaboration with state governments, through the Universal Basic Education boards, while 1,152,745 new mums in 2,053 hospitals in 44 cities have been reached since 2009,” she revealed.
On other initiatives carried out by the brand in Nigeria, Dr. Idika said they include participation in the annual World Health Day, conduct of a memorability test for school children on hand washing, sponsored research studies on hygiene and campaigns promoting hygiene lessons.
She further stressed the need for Nigerians to embrace common hygiene behaviours that could improve cleanliness and lead to good health.
“Hygiene practice in the home, environment and hospital plays an important role in preventing infection transmission like common cold, influenza, gastroenteritis, diarrhoeal infections and so on,” she said.
Dr. Idika also explained that studies have also shown a reduction in bacterial population in water for bathing by Dettol antiseptic liquid, in comparison with local purification agents like alum, lime, salt, potash alum and Moringa oliefera seeds.
In furtherance of the company’s contribution to accelerate healthcare delivery in the country, the Reckitt Benckiser representative assured of its expansion of the coverage of various initiatives, including continued support for adequate data generation on numerous activities on good hygiene, as well as development of other intervention strategies.
President of the NMA, Dr. Osahon Enabulele, while giving his welcome speech, specifically commended Reckitt Benckiser for the Dettol brand, which he said had been endorsed by NMA for over a decade.
L-R: Brand Manager, Dettol, Reckitt Benckiser, Ms. Morolake Onifade; Speaker for Reckitt Benckiser on Gastro Oesophageal Reflux Disease, Dr. Michael Ezeanochie; Member, Global Hygiene Council/Speaker for Reckitt Benckiser on Dettol, Dr. Nneoma Idika; and Marketing and Activation Lead, West Africa, Reckitt Benckiser, Mrs. Omotola Bamigbaiye-Elatuyi at the 54th Annual General Conference and Delegates’ Meeting of Nigerian Medical Association (NMA) held in Benin, Edo State, recently.
