Reckitt Benckiser to invest in hand hygiene facilities

Reckitt Benckiser is set  to invest in hand hygiene facilities in health facilities to promote hygiene and reinforce the curbing of the Covid-19 pandemic in the country. 

According to the the company's Country Manager in Kenya, Ibrahim Kabir the provision of high quality healthcare is highly dependent on hand hygiene. 

Mr. Kabir said, “The need for effective hand hygiene is even more urgent during this coronavirus pandemic.” 

Reckitt Benckiser is facilitating five handwashing stations at Mama Lucy Hospital. The hospital will also receive 22 cartons of Dettol Bar Soap from the company.

It is also donating another 17 cartons to Nairobi sub-counties, whereby each health facilities will receive a carton. 

RB's health strategy with the donation of handwashing units is to mark this year’s Global Handwashing Day themed “Hand Hygiene for All” as it participates in the process for combating the Covid-19 pandemic. 

Each donated unit has piping, a foot pump, and a drainage bucket and it will be stocked with Dettol soap. Its capacity is 100 liters of water. 

Mr. Kabir also said, “These Dettol handwashing units are part of our commitment to make hand hygiene accessible to all. Universal hand hygiene will help not only curb coronavirus, but also prevent other diseases caused by germs."

A World Health Organization study shows that 84 percent of hospitals in sub-Saharan Africa had hand hygiene facilities at points of care. However,  there was a significant fall to 64 per cent among lower-level health facilities. 

According to Who, healthcare facilities and handwashing stations within 5 meters of toilets should have a 1:10 sink to bed ratio. Moreover, the stations should be user-friendly for all patients, visitors, and staff to encourage handwashing. 

“We are thankful to Dettol for this partnership. The current COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the central role hand hygiene plays in combating the virus. It is a timely reminder of the need to take immediate action on hand hygiene across all public and private settings to respond and control the COVID-19 pandemic," Dr Josephine Kabiru, Director for Health Services from Nairobi Metropolitan Services (NMS) said.