Strategic collaborations between multinational companies and government can tremendously bridge the gaps in the availability of amenities and information for the public especially for health care in the rural areas.
This informed the recent move and gains recorded when Procter & Gamble, a popular consumer goods company in Nigeria through its Oral- B brand, partnered the Federal Ministry of Health to commemorate the World Oral Health Day through a community outreach in the Karonmajiji area of Abuja aimed at promoting oral health and hygiene.
The outreach offered oral health awareness, free dental checks, and a month supply of Oral B toothpaste and toothbrushes to over 300 community members of the Karonmajiji area.
The partnership between Oral B and the Federal Ministry of Health reinforces Oral-B’s commitment to a healthier, stronger teeth and Procter & Gamble’s purpose of touching and improving lives of people in the communities where it operates.
Speaking on the initiative, Ridwan Sorunke, P&G Nigeria Government Relations & Public Policy Manager, stated that Procter & Gamble is a force for good and a force for growth, and as a result, we are excited at this partnership with the Federal Ministry of Health to promote oral health and hygiene in this community. Over the years, Oral B brand has partnered with dentists across the country to elevate the role of oral health of over 10 million Nigerians through its Mobile Dental Clinic Program.
“Oral hygiene should not be overlooked, most especially in terms of its effects on the general health and nutrition of people. An effective oral care reduces infection and promotes health, thus the need to drive awareness. The World Oral Health Day presents an opportunity to amplify this oral health drive which our brand has actively driven through the year.” Ridwan said.
Also commenting at the outreach, Dr. Bola Alonge, Director of Dentistry Division of the Federal Ministry of Health noted that there was an increasing need to drive oral health sensitization at the grassroots especially in areas with limited access to quality health care. She advised the participants at the outreach to adopt proper oral health and hygiene practices.
She added: “Proper oral health practices are important to ensuring good general health. Community members should visit the dentists at least twice in a year. This is why this outreach with Oral B is important. There are dentists on the ground to help the people of the community to conduct free oral health check while also receiving a month supply of Oral B toothpastes and Oral B toothbrush”.
As part of this outreach, the Federal Ministry of Health also advocated for increased dental checks to curtail the spread of the fast-rising Noma disease in Nigeria.
As a company, Procter & Gamble has reached millions of Nigerians through its citizenship programs. The Oral B Mobile Dental Clinic Program is committed to reaching 10 million more Nigerians with free dental checks over the next four years. In addition, the P&G’s Children Safe Drinking Water program (CSDW) has provided hundreds of million liters of safe drinking water in Nigeria helping to prevent possible death and disease from contaminated water.
