JINJA – Burugo Primary School from Jinja District has emerged as the overall winner of the inaugural National Dettol Hygiene Quest Festival, a nationwide initiative that uses Music, Dance and Drama (MDD) to promote hygiene and healthy living among schoolchildren.
The competition attracted 159 schools from across Uganda, with 25 schools advancing to the national finals after impressing judges with performances centred on handwashing, sanitation, disease prevention and other essential hygiene practices.
Organisers said the festival demonstrated the growing role of creative arts in delivering public health messages, enabling learners to understand and embrace positive hygiene behaviours in an engaging and memorable way.
The grand finale brought together officials from the Ministry of Education and Sports, district local government leaders and representatives of development organisations, who praised the initiative for complementing efforts to improve health and learning outcomes in schools.
Speaking at the event, Dr. Shamim Nabuuma Kaliisa, the Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Chil AI Lab and the Focal Person for the Dettol Hygiene Quest Uganda, said integrating music, dance and drama into hygiene education had helped learners move beyond classroom instruction to adopt healthy practices as part of their daily lives.
She noted that the performances showcased by Burugo Primary School and the other finalists highlighted the effectiveness of creative arts in reinforcing important public health messages among children.
“The success of this year’s festival shows that children can be powerful ambassadors for positive change. We look forward to returning next year with an even bigger programme to ensure more schools benefit from learning about health through music, dance and drama,” Dr. Kaliisa said.
The Dettol Hygiene Quest is supported by Reckitt, the manufacturer of Dettol, Jik and other consumer health and hygiene products.
The programme also incorporates digital technology through a partnership with Chil AI Lab, which has developed the Dettol Hygiene Quest AI Chatbot to support hygiene education in schools. Organisers say the combination of technology and creative learning is intended to reduce hygiene-related absenteeism while encouraging lifelong healthy habits among learners.
The Dettol Hygiene Quest is a school-based education programme designed to equip children with practical hygiene knowledge through classroom learning, digital innovation and creative activities. Working with government institutions and school partners, the initiative aims to improve sanitation, strengthen health education and foster healthier school communities across Uganda.
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