KAMPALA
As the world observes World Toilet Day, Dettol, a leading hygiene and disinfection brand by Reckitt, reaffirms its deep commitment to advancing sanitation and hygiene equity in Uganda through the impactful Dettol Hygiene Quest program, run in partnership with the Chil Group (Chil AI Lab).
With World Toilet Day highlighting the critical need for safely managed sanitation, Dettol is calling attention to the powerful link between clean toilets, comprehensive hygiene education, and improved public health, particularly within school environments.
The Dettol Hygiene Quest, which recently launched its second phase, is a crucial intervention aimed at instilling lifelong hygiene habits in children aged 5 to 11.
While the program emphasizes handwashing, its holistic approach directly addresses school sanitation infrastructure and education, ensuring children not only know how to wash their hands but also understand the proper, dignified, and safe use of toilet facilities.
To mark this year’s observance, the Dettol Hygiene Quest team mobilized volunteers, teachers, and students in the Gulu District for a day of intensive, practical action. Activities included large-scale toilet cleaning and sanitation drives in all participating schools and the surrounding community, reinforced by the distribution of essential Dettol products to help sustain the cleanliness long-term.
Phase One of the program successfully reached 750 schools and impacted over 450,000 students and educators across high-need areas in Uganda. A core component of this success was the construction of 1,500 dedicated handwashing stations one for boys and one for girls in each school, a foundational step that supports hygienic toilet use and menstrual health management.
The expansion of the program, bolstered by the integration of the Keti Dettol Hygiene Quest AI Chatbot, further strengthens sanitation monitoring. This digital assistant helps teachers track student attendance and monitor hygiene practices in real-time, allowing for smarter, data-driven interventions to sustain clean toilet environments long after the initial setup.
Bornface Shaka Country Manager Reckitt said;Good hygiene is more than cleanliness; it’s protection, prevention, and empowerment. It transforms a simple act into a life-saving habit, protecting people, strengthening our communities, and safeguarding Uganda’s future. We believe access to hygiene is not a privilege but a basic human right.”
Dr. Shamim Nabuuma, CEO of Chil Group of Companies, added, “Our partnership with Reckitt demonstrates the power of technology and community engagement in solving complex challenges. By embedding sanitation and hygiene messages directly into the school curriculum and giving teachers modern tools to monitor compliance, we are turning children into agents of change who promote dignity and health at home and in school.”
Dettol is committed to working alongside the Ministry of Education and Sports and local partners to contribute significantly to the achievement of Sustainable Development Goal 6 (Clean Water and Sanitation for all) by 2030, ensuring that every child in Uganda can live a healthier, more resilient life.
About Reckitt and Dettol Reckitt is a global leading consumer goods company with a purpose to protect, heal and nurture in the relentless pursuit of a cleaner, healthier world. Dettol is one of Reckitt’s most trusted global brands, dedicated to providing effective hygiene and germ protection solutions to consumers worldwide.
About Chil Group (Chil AI Lab)
Chil Group is a local health and hygiene innovation company specializing in leveraging technology, including Artificial Intelligence, to design and implement scalable health education and tracking solutions in Africa.
