What to know
- Presentation Day/Time: Thursday, April 24, 9:00–10:25 am
- Presenter: Megan Dorris, MMS, MPH, EIS officer assigned to the National Center for Emerging and Zoonotic Infectious Diseases, Division of Foodborne, Waterborne and Environmental Diseases
What did we do?
- During the COVID-19 pandemic, partners in Uganda installed hand hygiene (HH) stations at entrances, exits, and publicly accessible toilets in community gathering settings (CGSs), such as schools and markets, in response to interim HH recommendations from the World Health Organization. However, there was limited guidance on how to optimize the use of HH stations in these new locations. Our study aimed to identify strategies for enhancing the availability of HH materials and promoting HH practice at these key sites to help reduce the transmission of COVID-19.
What did we find?
- We observed HH station characteristics and HH behavior in CGSs at three key HH moments: upon entering, upon exiting, and after using publicly accessible toilets. HH practice occurred at 23.5% of 1,495 observations where HH materials (water and soap or alcohol-based hand rub) were present.
- In CGSs, HH material availability and HH practice were more likely when a HH attendant was present and at combined HH stations—those equipped with both handwash station and hand sanitizer dispenser—compared to standalone handwash stations.
Why does it matter?
- During public health emergencies, installing combined HH stations—those equipped with both handwash station and ABHR dispenser—and having HH attendants present may help optimize HH material availability and HH practice at entrances, exits, and publicly available toilets in CGSs during disease outbreak scenarios.
***This presentation has updated data that will be shared at the EIS Conference
Abstract Category: COVID-19, Global Health