By Gabriel Olawale
To commemorate the 2018 Global Hand Washing Day, Unilever, makers of Lifebuoy anti-bacterial soap took its message on the importance of proper hand washing with soap to several school children across Nigeria.
Speaking on the theme of the exercise, “High 5 for Handwashing”, Founder of the Well Being Foundation Africa, Mrs Toyin Saraki explained that proper handwashing has been evidence in reducing the risk of diarrhoea and pneumonia, and thwarts the spread of diseases like Ebola. “Germs today have evolved and are stronger than ever before, with more than 215,000 children under the age of five dying in Nigeria every year from preventable infectious diseases like diarrhoea and pneumonia. The simple act of handwashing with soap is proven to be one of the most cost-effective, yet often overlooked solutions in preventing these deaths.
Brand Ambassador of Lifebuoy, Omawumi Megbele said the initiative was apt and would have a direct impact on children under 12 who are the most vulnerable to infection-causing germs.
“I am very excited at how actively Lifebuoy has taken up this campaign for hand washing, bringing it to the children one-on-one instead of just advertising through mediums that may be forgotten over time. I have met with and taught kids just like my own on how to wash their hands and they now understand better the importance of this habit,” she said.
Category Manager Skin Cleansing Unilever Nigeria Plc, Osato Evbuomwan said that ‘Help A Child Reach 5 Campaign’ aimed to remind people that basic hygiene interventions like handwashing with soap can make a huge difference in reducing the rate of child mortality and in turn improve the health and well-being of Nigerians especially children under the age of 5.
He said the ongoing hand washing programme will provide access to Lifebuoy and drive behaviour change that is critical to reducing the incidence of child mortality in the country.