Dettol Harps on Improved Healthcare Delivery for Nigerians

Martins Ifijeh
Dettol, from the stable of Reckitt Benckiser, partnered with the Nigerian Medical Association during her week-long annual national medical conference, with participants advocating improved healthcare service delivery for Nigerians.

The 56th NMA Annual Conference, which held recently pulled a large number of stakeholders, including doctors, other healthcare practitioners, the academia, top government functionaries and key influencers, who expressed a consensus on the need to improve healthcare delivery in the country.

Speaking at the conference, a Clinical Microbiologist, Lagos University Teaching Hospital, LUTH, Dr. R. Oladele stated that Nigeria losses about N455 billion annually which is about 1.3 per cent of her GDP due to poor hygiene practices, adding that this productivity loss was majorly from the household and that it affects the living standard of the people. “Poor hygiene conditions gives room for infections which results in sickness and diseases leading to valuable loss of productive time and other resources.

“Infections are easily transmitted through contact with infected persons or surfaces, and if not properly checked can lead to disease outbreak. Therefore, the chain of infection should be broken with reliable antiseptic liquid as early as possible to ensure that families and loved ones are protected from germs that cause a number of illnesses,” she said.

In her presentation titled: ‘Breaking the Chain of Infection’ she stated that in order to achieve an infection free country, the promotion of personal hygiene practices such as regular hand washing could not be over-emphasized. Other practices like cough etiquette, vaccinations, infection control and prevention programs all play critical roles in reaching this goal of an infection free society.

She further stated that regular disinfection of topical and environmental surfaces with antiseptics and disinfectants is an effective approach and also to clean and decontaminate all equipment after use.

Oladele called on the government and other stakeholders to enlighten the nation on ways to prevent transmission of germs and diseases in order to accord the concept of hygiene its deserved place. She disclosed further that hygiene cuts across every sphere of life, ranging from personal to laundry, environmental, food and water, home and hospital, stressing that hygiene is important to keep Nigerians healthy always.

Dettol has been in partnership with the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA) for over 20 years and it is the only antiseptic liquid endorsed by the NMA. Dettol on its part will continue to ensure that it supports Nigerians to live healthier and happier lives, by providing maximum protection for the family against over 100 illness causing germs.