The Federal Ministry of Health and Dettol, one of Reckitt Benckiser’s brands have entered into a partnership on a public enlightenment campaign to fight the spread of the deadly Ebola Virus Disease through personal hygiene. The partnership was made known at a ministerial media briefing by the Minister of Health, Prof. Onyebuchi Chukwu in Abuja on Monday.

Marketing Director, West Africa, Reckitt Benckiser, Mr. Oguzhan Silivrili while addressing journalists stated that as part of Reckitt Benckiser’s numerous Corporate Social Responsibility initiatives, the company has decided to partner with the Federal Ministry of Health using Dettol to enlighten Nigerians on how to prevent Ebola through the cultivation of proper hygiene habits.

  “Over the next couple of weeks, we would launch out pan-Nigeria with the Ebola Public Enlightenment Campaign. Some legs of the campaign include airing an Infomercial by the Minister of Health on Ebola, visiting garages, neighbourhoods, religious centres and schools among others with the aim of  educating

Nigerians on proper hygiene practices such as   how to correctly wash their hands, sanitize floors and surfaces and by providing up-to date information on ‘All you need to know about Ebola’ through the traditional media and other digital media platforms.

  “The prevention of the Ebola Virus starts from good hygiene practices like washing of hands. Dettol has six steps on how to properly wash hands to kill all illness-causing germs,’’ he added.

  While stressing the brand’s commitment to having a healthy nation over the past 50 years, he stated that Dettol has been at the forefront of educating Nigerians about the health and hygiene benefits via mass consumer education programmes like New Mom Programme where five million mothers have been reached since 2006, teaching them good hygiene habits for themselves and their new born babies.

 There is also the Health on Wheels Programme through which 150,000 families have been reached through the Mobile Clinic, School Hand-Hygiene Programme where almost a million children have been reached bringing the number to about  three million children since the start of the programme in 2010. 

  He added that the Direct Home Contact Programme has reached over a million moms since the year 2013.

Speaking, the Minister of Health, Prof.  Onyebuchi Chukwu showed appreciation to Reckitt Benckiser and its brand Dettol for coming forward in partnership to compliment the efforts of the Ministry of Health in the fight against Ebola.

  “We appreciate Reckitt Benckiser for this partnership with the Federal Ministry of Health. They have not given us the money in cash but have come up with a real partnership that works. Over the next few weeks you will be seeing media campaigns some of which involves members of the Ministry of Health including the Health Minister himself and other Nigerians. What is important is Nigerians that get the right messages on Ebola Virus disease.

We appreciate what they are doing; using their own money for public education,” he added.

  The Minister of Information, Mr. Labaran Maku also commended Dettol for the partnership to provide public enlightenment on the Ebola Virus Disease saying: “This is a win-win situation. As you are helping us on Ebola, you are also finding some love and some soft spots in the hearts of the people who will then begin to look out more for your products. The number of people who did not know about you before now will certainly be on the increase.”

  Maku said with the partnership, Reckitt Benckiser and its brand Dettol have joined the league of responsible corporate bodies like Shell and the

Dangote Group, which have come forward to offer help to government and the Nigerian people of their own volition. 

 “Brands that help the people ultimately survive in the minds of the people. Government cannot do it alone. We all have roles to play.”

  He further appealed that the current wave of personal and public hygiene consciousness amongst Nigerians should not diminish after Ebola saying: “Generally we don’t want the personal hygiene tips we are sharing to stop with Ebola. There are other diseases that we can avoid by simply washing our hands or by keeping personal and public hygiene rules. So I hope this campaign will help to keep the issue of personal and public hygiene in Nigeria at the fore front and keep it going.”