Accelerating Access: Reckitt's Role in Social Entrepreneurship
Improving access to hygiene and health is the right thing to do in pursuit of a cleaner, healthier world.
We know many health challenges are location based, with half the world still lacking access to basic health and hygiene and our changing climate is creating new health threats.
Whilst Reckitt has a strong heritage of creating iconic brands, we can’t address the challenge alone. Brands like Dettol, Lysol, Harpic and Durex play a vital part in protecting public but we also need innovative new solutions which can help address the specific needs of local communities, after all health begins at home. In many cases local entrepreneurs are able to innovate and develop solutions which are specifically tailored to meet the needs of local communities, because the understand their specific challenges. This helps address access, prevent, health literacy and self-care to enable more people to stay well, driving systemic change. And their efforts and solutions will help alleviate mounting pressure on existing healthcare systems, paving the way for a more resilient and accessible healthcare approach.
Reckitt partners with the worlds' foremost impact investors to help manage, scale and measure the entrepreneurs' impact in society. Together with Yunus Social Business and the Health Innovation Exchange we have been supporting entrepreneurs with a holistic curriculum to overcome barriers across Sub-Saharan Africa, Brazil, Indonesia and others. Over 80 Reckitt mentors have provided technical expertise and skills-based mentorship to these social entrepreneurs.
Local communities understand their challenges best and have the agency to solve their own problems. These solutions need a hand up, not a handout to scale. By supporting local innovation and empowering individuals to take charge of their own health and hygiene challenges, we are helping to build a cleaner healthier world for everyone. We’ve supported over 60 social entrepreneurs across the globe, each working to tackle critical health and hygiene issues. These initiatives span a wide range of focus areas, including access to clean water, improved sanitation infrastructure, hygiene education and the development of affordable, locally produced health products.
Championing female social entrepreneurship and local leadership
Supporting women in health innovation represents a huge economic opportunity. When given the right resources, women entrepreneurs drive economic growth, job creation and greater social impact, particularly in health and hygiene industries.
Yet, women-led businesses receive just 2% of venture capital funding globally, despite delivering higher revenue compared to male-led businesses - on average, twice as much per dollar invested. Women-led start-ups deliver 35% better returns and create 6 times more jobs. Many of the social enterprises we support are led by female entrepreneurs who are transforming their communities through education, advocacy and enterprise.
Their local leadership is essential for ensuring that solutions are culturally relevant and widely accepted. When communities are involved in designing and implementing their own health interventions, the results are more impactful and sustainable.
Tayaba
Reckitt and Tayaba are bringing innovative WASH solutions to underserved communities in Rajanpur, Pakistan. Since July 2024, the initiative has reached over 3,986 individuals across three villages, delivering 540 H2O wheels, hygiene kits, and a solar-powered water facility.
Local partnerships have enabled training for 50 female entrepreneurs, awareness sessions, and monitoring surveys, empowering communities with sustainable solutions. To date, Tayaba has delivered over half a billion liters of safe drinking water to rural communities in Pakistan.
Through Reckitt's mentorship, Tayaba has successfully advanced its strategic goals – securing investment from Shark Tank Pakistan for its innovative H2O Air solution.
This partnership has supported product development, strengthened communications, and amplified advocacy efforts. With the rollout of H2O Air planned across Pakistan in 2025, Tayaba aims to expand access to clean water and hygiene while addressing gender disparities and climate challenges.
The challenges we face are complex and interconnected, and no single organization can solve them alone. By working together and empowering entrepreneurs, we can amplify our collective impact and drive meaningful change in communities around the world.