The partnership, which valued at N220 million, was made known at a ministerial media briefing by the Minister of Health, Prof. Onyebuchi Chukwu in Abuja on Monday.
The Minister, however, clarified that the partnership support fund was not to be given to the ministry of health in cash but would be spent by Reckitt Benckiser on the various legs of the public enlightenment campaign.
Marketing Director, West Africa, Reckitt Benckiser, Mr. Oguzhan Silivrili while addressing the media stated that as part of Reckitt Benckiser’s numerous Corporate Social Responsibility initiatives, it has decided to partner 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, storming garages, neighbourhoods, religious centres, schools among others and educating Nigerians on proper hygiene practices like how to correctly wash their hands, sanitize floors and surfaces amongst others, and by providing up-to date information on ‘All you need to know about Ebola’ through the traditional media and other digital media platforms”, he said.
‘‘The prevention of the Ebola Virus starts from good hygiene practices like washing of hands. Dettol has 6 steps of how to properly wash our hands to kill all illness causing germs’’, he added.
Furthermore, while stressing Dettol’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 mums have been reached since 2006, teaching them good hygiene habits for themselves and their new born babies, 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 the beginning of this year across schools in Nigeria bringing the number to about 3 million children since the start of the programme in the year 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.
In addition, the Minister of Information, Mr. Labaran Maku similarly 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 this 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 indeed 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 hygiene, “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. We thank Dettol for this initiative.”
The Ministerial Media Briefing was attended by the Minister of State for Health Dr. Khaliru Alhassan; Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Health, Mr. Linus Awute; Director General, National Agency for Food and Drugs Administration and Control (NAFDAC), Dr. Paul Orhii and other senior officials of the Ministry of Health.
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Ebola: Dettol supports Ministry of Health with N220m enlightenment campaign |
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