By Ijeoma Nwanosike
Dettol, in collaboration with the Wellbeing Foundation Africa (WBFA), has reported a significant 34 per cent drop in disease rates among school children following its ongoing hygiene education initiative.
This announcement was made during the official launch of Year Three of the Dettol Hygiene Quest Initiative, held at Oduduwa Primary School, Gbagada, Lagos.
The Hygiene Quest Initiative, part of the broader Dettol Clean Naija campaign, aims to instill lifelong hygiene habits in children by 2030, with a target of reaching six million pupils. Through structured lessons on hand-washing and general cleanliness, the initiative is also working to reduce hygiene-related absenteeism and illnesses in schools by at least 10 per cent.
Now in its third year of implementation with WBFA, the programme has reached children and families in Lagos, Kwara, and Abuja. According to project data, over 269,758 schoolchildren have received foundational hygiene training, while 69,233 pregnant and lactating mothers have been educated on evidence-based hygiene practices.
Additionally, 32,928 community members have been empowered as health promoters in their homes, and more than 2,300 healthcare workers have been trained to uphold hygiene-focused care standards.
Speaking at the launch, the Head of External Affairs and Partnerships for Reckitt Sub-Saharan Africa, Cassandra Uzo-Ogbugh, described hygiene education as the foundation of disease prevention. She emphasised the progress the initiative has made since its inception.
“With our implementation partner, the Wellbeing Foundation Africa, we’ve seen reductions in communicable diseases; 34 per cent in Abuja, 22 per cent in Kwara, and 16 per cent in Lagos.
“Similarly, school absenteeism due to illness has dropped by 40.91 per cent in Abuja, 16.01 per cent in Lagos, and 12.28 per cent in Kwara,” she said. She added that basic hygiene practices like proper handwashing can significantly reduce the spread of common illnesses such as diarrhoea and influenza and urged everyone to join in the effort to eliminate hygiene-related diseases.
Founder and President of WBFA, Princess Toyin Saraki, praised the initiative’s growing reach and impact. In her goodwill remarks, she stressed the importance of consistent, evidence-based community hygiene education.
She said, “Our goal is to sustain quality, expand coverage, and ensure our advocacy efforts reflect the complexity and ambition of this initiative.”
The Dettol Hygiene Quest is not just a campaign; it is a public health system that must endure, evolve, and deliver lasting change.”
