Reckitt Partners with Public Health Foundation of India (PHFI) to drive transformative public health interventions

New Delhi: Reckitt, a leading global consumer health and hygiene company, has partnered with the Public Health Foundation of India (PHFI) to strengthen its purpose-led programs across India, with a focus on health, hygiene, sanitation, and life skills education.

Established in 2006, PHFI is a globally recognized public-private initiative that has contributed significantly to building India’s public health capacity through education, research, and advocacy. The institution was recently ranked second among schools of public health globally (International Journal of Public Health, March 2024) and has been recognized as an ICMR Collaborating Centre of Excellence.

The partnership brings together Reckitt’s deep experience in driving large-scale behavioural change and PHFI’s leadership in public health research, education, and policy. Together, the two organizations aim to co-create innovative solutions, strengthen institutional capacity, and document scalable community health models that can be replicated across India.

As part of the collaboration, PHFI will work closely with Reckitt and its civil society partners to validate and document existing outreach programs nationwide. The resulting evidence will be translated into case studies and academic publications to highlight effective, scalable models for health impact.

On the partnership, Professor Sanjay Zodpey, President, Public Health Foundation of India (PHFI), said, “Partnership between Reckitt and Public Health Foundation of India will develop initiatives responding to community health needs for capacity building, training programs and research to address the public health challenges with a focus on sanitation and hygiene.”

Ravi Bhatnagar, Director, External Affairs and Partnerships, Reckitt – South Asia, “At Reckitt, we believe we achieve more together as trusted partners. Through collaboration, we can collectively drive systemic, long-term positive change. We deeply value this collaboration, which unites PHFI’s academic and policy leadership with Reckitt’s on-ground experience in driving behavioural change. Hygiene is the foundation of good health, and this partnership marks another meaningful step in our journey to support the vision of Viksit Bharat by 2047. Trusted, purpose-aligned partnerships like this are essential to building a healthier, more resilient India.”

PHFI has established five Indian Institutes of Public Health and contributed more than 4,800 research publications to the field. Its recognition as a global public health leader further showcases the strength it brings to this collaboration to deliver evidence-based health interventions.

With this partnership, Reckitt and PHFI are not only setting a new benchmark for public-private collaboration but also laying the groundwork for transformative change in how India addresses its most pressing health challenges. Grounding interventions in science and scaling them through community action, the partnership aims to deliver lasting improvements in sanitation, hygiene, and public health outcomes. More than a partnership, this is a mission-driven alliance focused on shifting narratives, empowering communities, and reinforcing the foundations of India’s public health system. Together, Reckitt and PHFI aims to ensure that access to health and hygiene is a right for all, not a privilege.