Lucknow, Savlon, ITC’s leading health and hygiene brand, unveiled the 7th edition of its in-school programme Savlon Swasth India Mission (SSIM). Since its inception, Savlon Swasth India Mission has been focusing on its core belief – Healthier Kids make for a Stronger India and has championed many grassroot level initiatives to foster increased awareness and understanding of hygiene practices among school children. Over the years, it has built a robust partner network with schools across Indian states and the initiative is committed to help inculcate the habit of washing hands and hygiene among children. The school programme has witnessed participation from more than 7.6 million children across India since its initiation. Uttar Pradesh has always been one of the primary states where this initiative has been championed and implemented. Over the years Savlon Swasth India Mission has helped shape children as champions of change in their communities. This year, the endeavor has been to expand outreach to include more than 2700 schools in the state including most of the prominent cities like Lucknow, Kanpur, Prayagraj, Gorakhpur, Varanasi, Meerut, Agra, Ghaziabad, Moradabad, Bareilly, Sahranpur, Jhansi, Mathura, Faizabad and more. 

Shri Sameer Satpathy, Divisional Chief Executive, Personal Care Products Business, ITC Limited said, “Savlon Swasth India in line with its proposition of Healthier Kids Stronger India, is an extensive school outreach programme that promotes the adoption of hand hygiene amongst children through unique and engaging interventions. To scale up this initiative, , Savlon Swasth India Mission is committed to adding 12500 schools across India and help in initiating more than 3 million children into the habit of washing hands this year.”

Dr. Vaibhav Khanna, renowned surgeon specializing in craniofacial and microsurgery, said, “Savlon Swasth India Mission has an interesting way of encouraging hand hygiene. With the use of cartoon characters explaining hand hygiene and the eight steps of handwashing, it is indeed a stimulating experience for children. I think the most important aspect to build a habit is through making the process engaging and interesting to evoke interest as well as practice the habit for health. My compliments to the team and I would urge more schools to join hands with this mission as it truly is the simplest and the most effective step to prevent infections.”

ITC’s Savlon Swasth India Mission has been at the forefront of seeding behavioural change towards hand hygiene through innovative experiences and focused efforts. Preventable infections create a huge economic burden on our country and regular handwashing is one of the simplest, most effective ways to stop the spread of diseases. In a unique step forward, to reiterate the importance of washing hands even after the pandemic, Savlon Swasth India Mission unveiled the World’s first ‘Hand Ambassador’ earlier this year, with one of the greatest cricketers of all time, Sachin Tendulkar. Globally revered for his immense contribution to the cricketing world, the Master Blaster, has inspired generations with the many firsts in cricketing history. Now, in yet another first, he lends his priceless hands to a special cause – as a Hand Ambassador to inspire billions to practice proper handwashing. The original impression of his prized hands begins its journey to schools across India to remind children to wash their hands with soap and encourage them to develop the culture of hand hygiene.    

The programme entails interactive activities including a series of storytelling and visual engagement that educate and encourage children to adopt good hand hygiene practices. The programme includes an animated series to encourage good hand hygiene habits, fun games that involve these primary school children making them understand the importance of hand hygiene, a quick hygiene quiz along with an innovatively designed handwashing guide. Independent studies have indicated that this programme has enhanced compliance to the habit of handwashing amongst children.