Kenya: Dettol to Build Hand Washing Facilities in Schools Across the Country

By Staff Writer

Nairobi--- Leading Household, Health and Personal Care firm Reckitt Benckiser has boosted the governments initiatives aimed at preventing illnesses with a cheque of more than Shs. 5,000,000 (US$500,000).

Reckitt Benckiser’s General Manager for Central Africa, Ashok Bhasin said the money, presented to the Minister for Public Health and Sanitation, Beth Mugo is aimed at supporting ongoing campaigns aimed at encouraging all Kenyans to wash their hands with clean water and soap.

Coming close on the heels of the Global Hand Washing Day, part of the amount will also be used in the provision of sanitation facilities in areas with dire needs across the country with a view to preventing diarrhoea and other illnesses that are transmitted through contaminated hands.

Speaking during the presentation of the cheque, Mr. Bhasin said the donation is consistent with other activities that the firm, using its flagship Dettol brand is undertaking across the World, with the overall aim of supporting the attainment of the Millennium Development Goals.

“We do this as part of our contribution to reverse the statistics that show that diarrhoea accounts for 6.3 per cent of all hospital admissions among infants- yet these infections can be brought down by a half if people washed their hands with clean water and soap”, he said.

Bhasin said the governments initiative are complemented by an programme by Dettol in Kenya, to construct hand washing basins, bathing facilities and water storage amenities in local primary schools all over Kenya.

He said the first of these projects in Keringet area of Rift Valley, will be complete by the end of this month, followed by another similar initiative that will be handed over to the community in Kangundo District, by November.

He said the initiative is also designed to support the country’s economic blueprint Vision 2030, which in its social pillar which indicates that the intention for the government to shift the national health bill from curative health care to preventive health approach.

Bhasin added; “We recognize that at the core of a country’s development, are its people. And we know that people who are not healthy are not able to make a meaningful contribution towards the development of the nation such as Kenya which aims to be a middle income state in the next 19 years”.

Receiving the donation, the Minister for Public Health and Sanitation, Ms. Beth Mugo thanked Reckitt Benckiser for their commitment towards the promotion of the prevention of illnesses.

“As part of the attainment of Vision 2030, we aim at shifting the health budget towards prevention of illnesses rather than on the curative aspects. This boost by Reckitt Benckiser is therefore a timely step in the right direction”, she said.