Dettol Banega Swasth India S12 Launches India's 1st Hygiene Learning Platform 'H-BaLA' on Global Handwashing Day

Reckitt, a global consumer health and hygiene company, today launched India’s first ‘Hygiene Building as Learning Aid (H-BaLA)’ under its Dettol Banega Swasth India (DBSI) programme, at Prabhadevi Primary Marathi School, Worli, Mumbai, on Global Handwashing Day 2025 on Global Handwashing Day 2025. Collaboration, Campus, Connect and Children. Hygiene Building as a Learning Aid (H-BaLA) is a 6C’s approach built on the concept of Early Childhood Development (ECD). This initiative supports students by offering diverse ways to engage with information, simplify complex ideas and improve retention through hands-on experiences. It reflects the belief that learning about hygiene should not only be learned but experienced, making hygiene an integral, practical and enjoyable part of a child’s daily routine and encouraging positive behavior change through #IAmTheChange. Over the past 12 years, Dettol Banega Swasth India has promoted hygiene education and awareness across India. Reaching more than 26 million children in 840,000 schools in 28 states and 11 languages, the program has helped improve hygiene habits and school attendance, while spreading awareness to families and communities. With the launch of Hygiene Building as Learning Aid (H-BaLA), the program expands its focus on education, with the aim of strengthening hygiene learning for the next generation. Reckitt plans to roll out the H-BaLA model across 20 urban cities, developing a scalable framework for hygiene learning nationwide. Commenting on the launch, Ravi Bhatnagar, Director of Communications and Corporate Affairs, South Asia, MENARP and Africa, Reckitt, said: “For more than a decade, Dettol Banega Swasth India has driven real, measurable changes in how hygiene is perceived and practiced among children. The 12-year journey of education has shown us when the launch of Education. Hygiene Building as a Learning Tool (H-BaLA) model, we are deepening this impact, making hygiene a learning tool that shapes young minds. It is not just an initiative; it is an investment in the next generation of India’s health champions. #IAmTheChange is not simply a hashtag; it is our shared commitment to build a Viksit Bharat @ 2047 – one clean school, one healthy child at a time. Sai Damodaran, Padma Shri Awardee for Sanitation Revolution in India, and Founder and CEO, Gramalaya, said, “Change becomes lasting when hygiene is part of how children live and learn every day. The ‘Hygiene Building as Learning Aid (H-BaLA)’ beautifully bridges infrastructure with education, turning every wall and corridor into a reminder of good hygiene. As someone who has seen India’s sanitation journey evolve from awareness to action, I believe this model will create a lasting cultural shift by nurturing healthy habits early in life and building a generation that values ​​cleanliness, dignity and wellness.” Indira Chakravarty, Padma Shri Awardee for Public Health and Environmental Expert, added, “Hygiene is the first lesson every child should learn because it builds physical and mental health as well as dignity. Dettol Banega Swasth India has shown how education and hygiene can go hand in hand to empower children and their communities. The ‘Hygiene Building as a Learning Tool’ model beautifully carries this legacy forward by integrating hygiene into every aspect of school life. It is inspiring to see how this movement develops into a platform where every child not only learns hygiene, but lives it and becomes the real change makers of tomorrow.” Dettol Banega Swasth India Season 12 – #IAmTheChange builds on the campaign’s sustained progress over the years. With over 95% of students reporting improved awareness and confidence, and teachers observing positive behavioral changes, the initiative has become one of India’s significant public health collaborations. Supported by government partnerships and measurable outcomes, the program reflects Reckitt ‘s commitment to a healthier, cleaner and stronger India for generations to come. Prabhadevi Primary Marathi School, Worli, established in 1966, has been active in promoting hygiene practices in Mumbai. The school is managed by the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), India’s provider of urban local physical education, and has been recognized with the President Award, the Mayor Award and ‘Swachh Shala’ Award for good hygiene practices. Its transformation as the first H-BaLA Model School lays the foundation for a scalable model that Reckitt aims to replicate across India, creating Centers of Excellence for Hygiene and Wellness. Through H-BaLA, Dettol Banega Swasth India aims to teach hygiene sustainable, inclusive and interactive, and to transform schools into active spaces for health and well-being. The initiative aligns with Reckitt’s ongoing mission to empower communities, educators and children in building a cleaner and healthier India, reflecting the company’s purpose “to protect, heal and nurture in the relentless pursuit of a cleaner, healthier world.” Media Contact Details Smriti Jain, Avian WE, [email protected], +91-9953181096 Note to Reader: This article is part of Mint’s promotional consumer connectivity initiative and is independently created by the brand. Munt assumes no editorial responsibility for the content.