Savlon India Introduces a Low-Cost Innovation for Hand Hygiene

Savlon Healthy Hands chalk sticks is an innovation designed to engage children in primary schools and help induce in them the habit of washing hands.

Savlon India has debuted a unique hygiene and health program, Savlon Swasth India Mission, designed to encourage behavioral change toward washing hands among children through various engaging and entertaining educational initiatives in schools. 

Savlon India introduces Savlon Healthy Hands Chalk Sticks, a set of chalk sticks infused with cleansers. The chalk sticks are designed to engage children in primary schools and emphasize the importance of washing hands before eating. Education in some schools in rural India is still through chalk and slate. The genesis of this idea stems from the observation of everyday habits of these school children.  Most of them use their hands to write as well as erase their slates. Their hands are usually full of chalk powder at the end of their lessons. The lessons are followed by a meal break and washing hands is sometimes limited to a quick water wash under a tap. Access to basic hygiene may at times be a challenge and washing hands with cleansers like soap before a meal is yet to become a widespread habit.

With Savlon Healthy Hands Chalk Sticks, the chalk powder on the hand turns into a cleanser-like soap and generates lather as soon as it is placed under water. The chalk dust forming lather on washing with water is a unique experience that engages children and educates them on the importance of cleaning with cleansers.

Savlon Swasth India mission has already reached out to more than 300,000 children and aims to reach 1 million children in a year.

Sameer Satpathy, chief executivefor the Personal Care Products Business at ITC Limited, says, “Hand hygiene is a critical issue. We believe, to induce behavioral change among children, the process of communication and education has to be fun, engaging and memorable. In that context, Savlon Swasth India’s Healthy Hands Chalk Sticks is a simple yet interesting innovation. It is an engaging way to educate children on the importance of washing hands especially before eating. This is one of the various educational tools deployed by the Savlon Swasth India team to help initiate children into the habit of washing hands.”

Source: ITC Limited