RB Presents ‘Save a Child a Minute’ Initiative To FG

World’s leading consumer health and hygiene company, RB, alongside representatives from Save The Children, recently visited Vice President, Prof Yemi Osinbajo at his office in Abuja to present a ‘Save a Child a Minute’ initiative to him.

The programme is to tackle diarrhea in the country, which claims the lives of nearly 100,000 children under five years of age annually. The initiative is expected to gulp about N7.2 billion, out of which Nigeria will access about N1.2 billion for “creating a Healthier and Prosperous nation.”

According to the Managing Director of RB West Africa, Rahul Murgai, the company’s global vision is to provide consumers with innovative solutions for healthier lives and happier homes.

He further disclosed that RB has been operating in Nigeria for over 50 years and remains one of the key priority markets for continued focus and investment.

Murgai also said RB has been working to create a culture of health and hygiene with an array of well-known products like Dettol, Nurofen, Strepsils, Gaviscon, Durex, Harpic, Mortein, and Air Wick.

He stated that RB is not looking at Nigerian opportunity over short term but see a longer term potential and that Nigeria will remain the epicenter for African growth and plays an important strategic role in serving and developing other key markets in West Africa.

“With Dettol, a trusted name among Nigerian households and mothers, we have been actively partnering with Ministry of Health, Nigerian Medical Association, Save The Children and other NGOs to create scaled awareness around good health and hygiene.

“As part of our ongoing commitment, we have already reached 5 million mothers and 3.9 million school children over last 6 years to improve maternal health and reduced infant mortality in line with Nigeria commitments to the Sustainable Development Goals” he said.

However, these interventions though in right direction, need much greater participation and scale from like-minded corporate organisations, NGOs and government in other to build a truly healthier and prosperous nation.

The Water and Sanitation Program Research reports that Nigeria loses N455 billion annually which is 1.3% of GDP to poor sanitation and hygiene which increases the risk of disease and malnutrition making it an urgent priority for all the stakeholders and society.

It is believed that the implementation of a National Health Act, Rota-Virus and Wash Policy will all contribute to making Nigeria healthier.

The impact is startling in human terms- reveal that ‘one child dies every minute’ under the age of 5 from preventable diseases, specifically diarrhea.

Accordingly, the ‘Save a Child a Minute’ program in partnership with Save The Children and the Lagos State government is being piloted in Shomolu LGA, where the team is working to reduce prevalence and incidence of diarrhea by 50% and mortality by 80%.

The programme is a holistic approach on the WHO Seven (7) point plan being implemented in Africa and the lessons would be shared with the Federal government in anticipation of creating a national movement to fast scale the program.

The RB delegation included Rahul Murgai; Andrew Fleming, Deputy Head of Political Section, British High Commissioner; Patty O’ Hayer, RB Global Head of External Communications & Affairs; Chief Olu Falomo, Chairman RB Nigeria; Oguzhan Silivrili, Marketing Director RB West Africa and Alasdair Peach, Chief Financial Officer RB West Africa; Kwame S. Boate, Ph D, Deputy Country Director, Save the Children and Dr. David Olayemi, Director of Advocacy and Media, Save the Children.