In an effort to combat child mortality and afford children the best chance at life, Dettol and the Gauteng Department of Health (DoH) have partnered to launch the Dettol Pop-Up Clinic Programme in previously disadvantaged communities.

The aim of this programme is to assist communities that are affected by high cases of diarrhoea by educating them on good hand hygiene behaviour, as handwashing with soap alone prevents up to 50% of childhood diarrhoea.

The launch of this initiative, as part of the Dettol Hand Hygiene Behaviour Change programme, took take place at the Munsieville Community Clinic and aims to promote and provide accessible basic healthcare to underprivileged communities.

The event launch introduced the New Moms Hospital programme the objective of which is to enlighten pregnant women and new mothers on useful hygiene tips, such as handwashing, surface cleaning, food handling and the general healthcare of their babies.

Since 2006, Dettol has reached more than 16 million children in South Africa with hand-hygiene education programmes, teaching the importance of handwashing to reduce germs that cause illnesses and how to effectively wash hands with soap and water.

“The pop-up clinic programme will roll out across the country and it will focus on high-risk areas such as rural areas, informal settlements, areas with poor water and sanitation services and in need of better health facilities,” said Kunal Sahgal, Marketing Director RB Health.

“Through the Dettol Pop-Up clinics, Dettol aims to improve the health of children and to boost their prospects for a better life. No child should die from preventable diseases. We are proud to partner with the Department of Health in ensuring access to quality healthcare and we look forward to making a positive contribution to the South African healthcare sector,” added Sahgal.

Recent statistics indicate that the national infant mortality rate is estimated at between 27 and 33 deaths per 1 000 births1. This is partly due to the continued death of children through preventable causes such as diarrhoea - primarily through poor health behaviour of the pregnant mother and during the first 1 000 days of the child’s life. Diarrhoea is rated as the second leading cause of death among children under 5, according to the World Health Organisation2. However, most childhood diarrhoea cases are preventable through adequate sanitation and hygiene – such as handwashing with soap and water.

The DoH aims to improve the child mortality rate through accelerated, evidence-based interventions - to positively influence hand hygiene behaviour; and to improve the health and wellbeing of all citizens, especially children and women. An excellent example of such an intervention is the Dettol Hand Hygiene Behaviour Change programme, which will be delivered through the Pop-Up Clinics programme.

“We are pleased to have Dettol as a partner in mitigating health risks connected to poor hand and general hygiene among women and children. The launch of this programme will go a long way in educating the public about the benefits of proper handwashing and affording them access to best healthcare,” concluded Thuso Montwedi, West Rand District Health Services spokesperson.