As the fight to curb the spread of the coronavirus rages on, RB Nigeria through its brands, Dettol and Jik, has donated hygiene products to the Federal Ministry of Health.
This move is part of its global project “Fight for Access Fund”, which aims to improve access to health, hygiene and nutrition for all. The donated items have a combined market value of N65 million.
According to the Johns Hopkins COVID-19 dashboard, as of Tuesday, June 30, 2020, Nigeria is the 3rd country in Africa with the most infected number of nationals, and as the number of cases continues to rise in Nigeria, there is a need for more hygiene products for use in homes, hospitals and public places.
Items donated to the Federal Ministry of Health include hygiene products such as antiseptic disinfectants, Dettol soaps, Jik bleach, full Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), and 100 mobile hand-wash units to be installed at locations advised by the ministry. The donations were presented by representatives of RB at the Federal Ministry of Health in Abuja.
Osagie Ehanire, Minister of Health, who received the items, thanked RB for the donations.
“You have been in business for five decades, which tells us you know the health history of Nigeria,” Ehanire told the RB representatives. “The need for hygiene cannot now be any more emphasised. What you have brought here will go a long way. We will distribute it to our agencies. We’ll take an inventory of all of it and declare it to the Presidential Task Force on Covid-19.”
Commenting on the donation, Dayanand Sriram, General Manager, RB Nigeria Health, said RB’s purpose is to protect, heal and nurture in the relentless pursuit of a cleaner, healthier world.
“We are delighted to support the Federal Ministry of Health and also to play our part in stemming the effects of the pandemic in Nigeria. We will continue to support the Federal and State Governments, as well as the health authorities’ efforts in the fight against COVID-19,” Sriram said.
“We have a critical role to play in promoting hygiene, and Dettol has been supporting the government’s effort through its School Hygiene and New Mum’s education programs over the past 7 years,” he said.
Also speaking, Asif Hashimi, Country Manager, RB Hygiene West Africa, said Jik has for decades been a popular feature in Nigerian homes and hospitals and known for very effective surface cleaning and laundry for up to 99.9 percent germ-kill.
“This is a critical time, and this contribution is in line with Jik’s long-term mission of helping Nigerian households maintain good hygiene and a clean environment that helps to curb the spread of infectious diseases caused by germs,” Hashimi said.
Over the past months, as part of RB’s contribution to curbing the spread of COVID-19, Dettol and Jik have supported state governments and UNAIDS with a range of public hygiene education, disinfection of public areas, and donation of hygiene products worth millions of naira.
