New Delhi: ‘Hygiene’ is the foundation of a healthy and happy life. From ensuring personal hygiene like bathing regularly to ward off germs to keeping surroundings clean, all contribute to good health and well-being. Bringing attention to basic hygiene practices is the first ever public health and hygiene podcast – Swasthya Mantra, launched by Dettol under the aegis of its overarching movement – Banega Swasth India. Former Cricketer Suresh Raina launched the video podcast on the occasion of World Hand Hygiene Day, during a special show on NDTV – ‘Swachhata ki Paathshala‘. The podcast has been rolled out on major platforms like Spotify, Apple and YouTube.
Also Read: World Hand Hygiene Day: Learning A Healthy Lifestyle Through ‘Swachhata Ki Paathshala’
The aim of the Swasthya Mantra podcast is to sensitise children about the importance of cleanliness, sustainable living and to inculcate good hygiene practices like washing hands, in their daily life. Teaching and embedding habits at an early stage to drive home the message that only a ‘Swachh (clean) India can be a Swasth (healthy) India’, can change and impact the lives of a generation growing up and help achieve the goal of building a healthy nation.
Talking about the need to introduce video podcasts to educate young children, Gaurav Jain, Executive Vice President, Reckitt – South Asia said,
Making a sustainable change in societal mindset and behaviour remains imperative for a cleaner and healthier India. At Reckitt, we continue to introduce unique and engaging tools to ensure connecting with consumers across platforms and educating them on the importance of maintaining good hygiene habits. With the launch of the first-ever public health and hygiene-focused podcast; Banega Swasth India – Swasthya Mantra, we are taking another step towards combining new-age platforms and information for millennials and Gen Z to spread the right message.
The focus of the NDTV-Dettol Banega Swasth India campaign is holistic health for all and to leave no one behind. The video podcast is another step in the same direction. Ravi Bhatnagar, Director External Affairs and Partnerships, Reckitt South Asia said,
Dettol has always been at the forefront of promoting good hygiene practices, and through our interventions, we are dedicated to leaving no one behind and creating a healthier tomorrow. As an extension to the Dettol School Hygiene Curriculum, we are delighted to launch India’s first-ever public health and hygiene-focused podcast Banega Swasth India – Swasthya Mantra, and a 3-volume workbook. We are consistently working towards educating and encouraging young audience about hand hygiene and providing behavioural nudges to them to inculcate healthy handwashing habits.
Hygiene podcast like the Dettol School Hygiene Curriculum covers topics like the importance of handwashing, how to ensure hygiene at home, school, neighbourhood. The podcast is available in Hindi and English:
On Spotify:
Hindi: https://spoti.fi/3LyDNG3
English: https://spoti.fi/3ARFj14
On YouTube:
Hindi: https://bit.ly/BSISwasthyaMantraHindi
English: https://bit.ly/BSISwasthyaMantraEnglish
On Apple:
Hindi: https://apple.co/44w4eVo
English: https://apple.co/3HExpvK
Something as basic as ‘clean hands’ can save lives. But it is these basics we tend to be forgotten and Swasthya Mantra is all about basics and essentials. Here are some examples of the issues that the video podcast hopes to address.
Importance of Handwashing To Prevent Diseases
Washing hands properly for 20 seconds with soap and water can keep viruses from entering our bodies. Apart from hand washing, good hand hygiene practice is also about knowing when it is a must to wash hands. It is important to wash hands after coming in contact with someone sick, touching surfaces that are not safe and meeting people, especially during times when contagious diseases are spreading like COVID-19.
How To Take Care Of Your Health During Season Changes
Whether it is Winter, Summer or Monsoons, it is crucial to protect yourself from germs and stay away from diseases. Here are basic hygiene practices that you can adopt and save yourself from falling sick during changing season.
It Is Not Just Important To Use Toilets But Also Follow Some Toilet Etiquette
Clean toilets are important for a healthy and happy home. Apart from ensuring that you don’t defecate or urinate in the open, it is crucial to maintain toilets. Watch this podcast to know toilet etiquette and ensure they don’t become a source of germs and diseases.
The Swasthya Mantra podcast has been launched in English and Hindi. Watch now!
Also Read: Dettol’s DIY Hygiene Workbooks Aim To Educate Children In India About Hygiene And Embed Good Habits
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.
