Communication & Convening

RGHI Is committed to bringing hygiene to the attention of the public and policymakers for the benefit of all.

Putting hygiene on the agenda

Through its work RGHI will bring hygiene, and its benefits, to the attention of the public and policy makers in order to drive a coordinated approach.

This is being delivered through a series of editorial opinion pieces and social media activity, as well as the development of robust and quantifiable hygiene evidence.

RGHI is organising the Global Hygiene Summit 2023, in collaboration with the National Centre for Infectious Diseases (Singapore), the World Bank, Harvard T.H Chan School of Public Health and WaterAid. This Summit will create a forum for multi-level and multi-disciplinary discussions around hygiene science, behaviour, economics, and real-world experiences which can shape policy and drive better public health outcomes globally. The RGHI Global Hygiene Summit aims to become the global meeting place for the diverse audiences involved in the science, implementation and policy of hygiene.

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Female Travelers Wearing KN95 Masks on Airplane

Advocacy

The field of hygiene has long been neglected in public discourse, only resurfacing meaningfully in the face of the current global crisis. RGHI works to raise the profile of hygiene behaviours beyond COVID.

To do this it collaborates with other expert organisations to advocate and advise on hygiene issues through papers, articles, presentations and submissions to health policy committees where hygiene initiatives will provide better health outcomes.

RGHI works with policy and think tank organisations which share a common goal.

Non Academic Publishing

In support of its mission, RGHI is committed to elevating the field of hygiene in the public conscience by publishing informed, well-researched non-academic influence and opinion pieces.

Examples of this are:

1.Convening of experts within health and health policy to discuss “Driving hygiene behaviors – essential elements of universal healthcare?” and publishing a summary of the discussions in partnership with Chatham House.

In partnership with global think tank, Chatham House, RGHI convened a group of 32 experts in their respective fields within health and health policy to discuss a variety of fundamental topics in the forum, Driving hygiene behaviors – essential elements of universal healthcare? The discussion took place under the Chatham House Rule.

The panel of experts, which included politicians, policymakers, academics, physicians, behavior change experts, and others representing international charities and Ministries of Health concluded that investments are needed beyond research. Firstly, to build workable, scalable hygiene interventions, and secondly to build ‘customer demand’ from communities that will put pressure on governments to supply hygiene infrastructure.

Full details of the findings are detailed in the report Driving hygiene behaviors – essential elements of universal healthcare?

2. Funding of a major 80-page report into Hygiene “A life-course approach to hygiene: understanding burden and behavioural changes”

RGHI commissioned the Economist Economic Intelligence Unit to produce a report on hygiene in consultation with international experts.

3. Partnering with the International Organisation Reform for Resilience

RGHI provided a 3000-word submission on hygiene as a foundation of biosecurity as part of Reform for Resilience’s Interim report, due out on Monday 7th June 2021, on resilience for submission to the G7 meeting being held in the UK. RGHI will be providing funding and input to this commission as a partner.

Policy Change

“The touchstone for behavioural change must be solid, robust, and well-founded scientific evidence.

We cannot expect consumers to adopt practices or for governments to change or develop relevant policies if there is no solid and reliable evidence to support those actions.”