New Delhi: Reckitt, world’s leading consumer health and hygiene company, under its flagship campaign Dettol Banega Swasth India today launched India’s first and biggest Hygiene Olympiad – Dettol Hygiene Olympiad. Built on the fundamentals of good hygiene laying the foundation of good health, this Olympiad will reach 24 million children, motivating them to enhance their reasoning, analytical and problem-solving skills in the context of hygiene, making every day hygiene practices their second nature. A natural extension to the Dettol School Hygiene Curriculum, the initiative further cements Reckitt’s belief in addressing hygiene gaps that are imperative in India’s journey to better health.
Powered by Dettol Banega Swasth India, the Olympiad is supported by the Dettol School Hygiene Programme’s outreach partners – Plan India, Sesame Workshop India, Gramalaya, Apollo Foundation, Amar Jyoti Yuvak Sangha, MAMTA HIMC, Balipara Foundation, Jagran, and the Global Interfaith WASH Alliance (GIWA), along with Ernst and Young LLP (EY) as the technical partner and is curated by Indian Talent Olympiad. Open to children between 5 to 15 years of age, the Olympiad experience will help students understand the interdependency between hygiene, health and keeping loved ones protected.
Also Read: How Dettol’s Hygiene Curriculum Is Changing Lives Of The Children
An independent evaluation of the Dettol Hygiene School programme in 2021 has found a 57% Reduction in school absenteeism, over the 39% reduction found in 2020. In addition, children’s knowledge of handwashing has improved by 61% and their sanitation practice has increased by 62%. The Dettol Hygiene Olympiad will help build awareness among parents, teachers and children on addressing their hygiene literacy gaps and work towards further improving handwashing practices, helping further reduce school absenteeism and promote pro-hygiene behaviours.
Mr. Gaurav Jain, Senior Vice President, Reckitt – South Asia said,
Reckitt has been at the forefront of building a healthier planet through focused interventions under our purpose programs. The launch of Dettol Hygiene Olympiad is another step towards driving positive impact in society through sustainable investments that will help promote pro-hygiene behaviour among children
Mr. Ravi Bhatnagar, Director- External Affairs and Partnerships, Reckitt- South Asia said,
We are striving to create a healthier world built on the foundation of good hygiene. India’s first and biggest Dettol Hygiene Olympiad is an innovative framework that will help Dettol Banega Swasth India sensitize 24 million children across India towards adopting good personal hygiene behaviour, making a difference to the overall health of the world we are living in
Ms. Madhumati M., Director, Indian Talent Olympiad said,
Olympiad represents academic brilliance and a solid knowledge base of students while highlighting areas that require attention. We are glad to partner with Dettol Banega Swasth India to bring India’s first Hygiene Olympiad encouraging pro-hygiene behaviour among students and focus on the need to follow the right routine for a healthier tomorrow
The Dettol Hygiene Olympiad, under Reckitt India’s flagship initiative Dettol Banega Swasth India, will also Identify ‘Hygiene Champions/Leaders’ who will become advocates of good hygiene in schools and districts. These leaders will be given an opportunity to address vital topics like reduction in school absenteeism, reduction in illness, and living in a healthier and happier home. The exams begin on 6th September 2022 and can be taken by children online or offline. Winners will be felicitated in person on 2nd October 2022.
Also Read: Dettol Banega Swasth India Supports Nutrition Of Mother And Child Through Reach Each Child Program
The pandemic has made hygiene the new health, therefore, adopting and maintaining right hygiene practices have taken utmost priority in our lives. Since its inception, Dettol Banega Swasth India has been focusing on sensitizing children about six critical occasions for handwashing, through Dettol Hygiene curriculum program which includes washing hands after defecation, and the use of toilets; before eating; before preparing and serving food; before feeding infants/children; after cleaning a child’s bottom, and after coughing/sneezing during illness.
Dettol Hygiene Olympiad will further engage children from across India in a fun way that motivates them to understand and follow right hygiene practices in their daily lives for a healthier tomorrow.
About Reckitt
Reckitt exists to protect, heal, and nurture in the relentless pursuit of a cleaner, healthier world. We believe that access to the highest-quality hygiene, wellness and nourishment is a right, not a privilege.
Reckitt is the company behind some of the world’s most recognisable and trusted consumer brands in hygiene, health, and nutrition, including Air Wick, Calgon, Cillit Bang, Clearasil, Dettol, Durex, Enfamil, Finish, Gaviscon, Harpic, Lysol, Mortein, Mucinex, Nurofen, Nutramigen, Strepsils, Vanish, Veet, Woolite and more.
Every day, more than 20 million Reckitt products are bought globally. We always put consumers and people first, seek out new opportunities, strive for excellence in all that we do and build shared success with all our partners. We aim to do the right thing, always.
We are a diverse global team of more than 43,000 colleagues. We draw on our collective energy to meet our ambitions of purpose-led brands, a healthier planet, and a fairer society. Find out more or get in touch with us at www.reckitt.com.
Reckitt is the trading name of Reckitt Benckiser group of companies.
Also Read: Reckitt’s Social Impact Investment Report 2021: India
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
NDTV – Dettol have been working towards a clean and healthy India since 2014 via the Banega Swachh India initiative, which is helmed by Campaign Ambassador Amitabh Bachchan. The campaign aims to highlight the inter-dependency of humans and the environment, and of humans on one another with the focus on One Health, One Planet, One Future – Leaving No One Behind. It stresses on the need to take care of, and consider, everyone’s health in India – especially vulnerable communities – the LGBTQ population, indigenous people, India’s different tribes, ethnic and linguistic minorities, people with disabilities, migrants, geographically remote populations, gender and sexual minorities. In wake of the current COVID-19 pandemic, the need for WASH (Water, Sanitation and Hygiene) is reaffirmed as handwashing is one of the ways to prevent Coronavirus infection and other diseases. The campaign will continue to raise awareness on the same along with focussing on the importance of nutrition and healthcare for women and children, fight malnutrition, mental wellbeing, self care, science and health, adolescent health & gender awareness. Along with the health of people, the campaign has realised the need to also take care of the health of the eco-system. Our environment is fragile due to human activity, which is not only over-exploiting available resources, but also generating immense pollution as a result of using and extracting those resources. The imbalance has also led to immense biodiversity loss that has caused one of the biggest threats to human survival – climate change. It has now been described as a “code red for humanity.” The campaign will continue to cover issues like air pollution, waste management, plastic ban, manual scavenging and sanitation workers and menstrual hygiene. Banega Swasth India will also be taking forward the dream of Swasth Bharat, the campaign feels that only a Swachh or clean India where toilets are used and open defecation free (ODF) status achieved as part of the Swachh Bharat Abhiyan launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in 2014, can eradicate diseases like diahorrea and the country can become a Swasth or healthy India.
