RB commits N1.2Billion to stop diarrhoea in Children

By Gabriel Olawale 

In its bid to support prevention of un-der five deaths  due to diarrhea in Nigeria, Reckitt Benkisser, RB, is investing N1.2 billion in a nationwide hygiene programme. Speaking in Lagos during the RB Charity Ball for Save the Children Initiative, the General Manager, RB West Africa, Rahul Murgai, said it’s sad to note that diarrhea still kills more than 194, 000 children under five annually in Nigeria when it can be prevented with simple hygiene practice. Murgai said: “To address these challenges, RB and save the children has entered into a global strategic partnership to invest close to N7.2 billion in Nigeria, India and Pakistan, from which Nigeria will be a recipient of close to N1.2 billion.” Murgai explained that statistics have shown that “about N455 billion is lost, which is almost 1.3 per cent of the GDP, due to poor health and hygiene conditions in the country.

 What this means from a human index perspective is that there are nearly 96,000 lives, nearly 100,000 small children under the age of five who die due to diarrhea. This translates into a startling figure of one child dying every minute due to the lack of preventable diseases, getting support in terms of curing children in terms of diarrhea.” On his part, the Marketing Director, RB West Africa, Oguzhan Silivrili said the company was running a pilot scheme in Shomolu LGA, Lagos State and all these seven points as prescribed by the WHO are being implemented. Before the test and scheme commenced, the prevalence of diarrhea in Shomolu was 7.3 per cent, “all these initiatives will bring it down by about 50 per cent and bring down the mortality factor by 80 per cent. If this is done, then we have a model in which companies and more NGOs can work with the Federal Government and make it a pan-Nigeria initiative. “Our objective is to promote the culture of health and good hygiene and by doing so, we believe we can build a healthier and more prosperous Nigeria. The children of tomorrow will see a far stronger nation, which is both healthy and wealthy,” he noted.

Read more at: http://www.vanguardngr.com/2016/03/rb-commits-n1-2b-to-stop-diarrhoea-in-children/