As I reflect on the past year, and on RGHI’s first five years more broadly, what stands out most is how much we have achieved in our first five years. 

Our recently launched Impact Report captures the journey of RGHI from an idea into a globally recognised, independent institute advancing hygiene evidence and leadership. It reflects not only what we have achieved, but how the field itself has shifted. Hygiene, long overlooked and underfunded, is now increasingly recognised as essential to global health — supported by stronger evidence, growing leadership, and more coordinated collaboration than existed when RGHI was founded. 

It is worth pausing to remember why RGHI was created. Hygiene is one of the most fundamental determinants of health, yet for decades it sat at the margins of global health investment and policy. The field was fragmented. Critical evidence gaps persisted. And there was no independent institution capable of bringing researchers, policymakers, and practitioners together around a shared scientific agenda. 

Reckitt’s investment changed that. At a moment when very few were investing in hygiene research, Reckitt enabled the creation of an institute with the independence, credibility, and long-term vision needed to address these systemic gaps. That independence has become one of RGHI’s defining strengths. It allows us to convene across sectors, build equitable partnerships, and fund research free from commercial or political influence. It is the foundation upon which everything else has been built. 

As we reviewed our progress over the first five years, it became clear not only how much RGHI has achieved, but how e have found our place in the global health ecosystem. We are now better placed to articulate the gap we were created to fill — bringing scientific rigour, coordinated leadership, and independence to a field that lacked all three. It also clarified where we add the greatest value: advancing knowledge where evidence is thin, strengthening leadership where capacity has been limited, and convening actors who rarely come together around hygiene. 

Across our research portfolio, RGHI has deliberately targeted areas long neglected by global funders from behavioural drivers and exposure pathways to climate change, antimicrobial resistance, gender, and economic systems. This work is already shaping government guidance and influencing how hygiene is framed in policy debates. At the same time, our investment in people has become one of RGHI’s most important contributions. Our Fellowships now support one of the strongest and most diverse hygiene research cohorts globally, with strong leadership from women and researchers based in low- and middle-income countries. This work goes beyond individuals — it strengthens institutions, builds equitable partnerships, and creates lasting national expertise. 

Convening has been another defining strength. Hygiene has historically been a fragmented field, with limited dialogue between disciplines and sectors. Through the Global Hygiene Symposium, Chatham House dialogues, and engagement at platforms such as UNC Water & Health, RGHI has helped create spaces where hygiene conversations can happen. These convenings unlock shared understanding, elevate hygiene onto new agendas, and amplify the voices of researchers whose work deserves greater visibility. Our independence is central to this role — it enables trust, neutrality, and alignment across diverse actors. 

So where has this brought us? In just five years, RGHI has supported more than 35 projects across six continents. It is now one of the most comprehensive and interdisciplinary hygiene research portfolios ever assembled. RGHI has become a trusted, independent voice in global hygiene research; a credible convener; a generator of policy-relevant evidence; a champion of equity and LMIC leadership; and a connector between research, policy, and practice.  

As we look across the portfolio, early synthesis work is beginning to reveal how these investments interact and reinforce one another. While still emerging, the insights are powerful. Hygiene operates as a system, not a single behaviour. Behaviour change only works when systems enable it. Climate change is reshaping hygiene risks. Quality matters as much as access. New surveillance tools offer opportunities for earlier detection. And hygiene delivers benefits that extend far beyond disease reduction, including dignity, safety, and economic value. 

These reflections have shaped what we have learned in our first phase. Evidence is essential, but it does not drive change unless it is translated into policy and practice. Sustaining hygiene’s prominence requires economic arguments, long-term commitment, and persistent advocacy. Our most impactful work combined research, capacity strengthening, and policy engagement. And equity must be embedded not only in outcomes, but in how we operate. 

Together, these lessons define why RGHI must evolve. In phase II we will continue to scale influence, deepen leadership in LMICs, and focus on hygiene’s intersections with climate resilience, gender equity, and health systems strengthening. We have the foundations and accept the challenge. As Executive Director, I am proud of what RGHI has accomplished, grateful for the vision that made it possible, and confident in the role RGHI can continue to play in ensuring hygiene is recognised as central to global health, dignity, and equity. 

As the year draws to a close, the team is taking a well-earned break before we turn our focus to the next phase of RGHI’s work. The foundations are strong, the purpose is clear, and Phase II is about building on what we know works. We look forward to the journey ahead.  

Season’s greetings to you and yours, and we’ll see you in the new year, ready to build on what we’ve started.