Assessment of Health Workers' Knowledge, Perception and Compliance Following a World Health Organisation Multimodal Hand Hygiene Intervention Campaign an a Nigerian Teaching Hospital

Authors

  • Dr. C.J. Uneke
  • Ndukwe CD
  • Prasopa-Plaizier N
  • Oyibo PG
  • Nwakpu KO
  • Nnabu RC

Keywords:

hand hygiene, health workers

Abstract

Background: The transmission of health care-associated infections (HCAI) in hospital environment constitutes a significant major public health problem worldwide and health-care workers are potential source of these infections. This study assessed the knowledge and perception of health workers in a Nigeria Teaching Hospital following the implementation of the World Health Organization (WHO) hand hygiene intervention strategy.

Methods: The study participants were physicians, nurses and other health workers involved in direct patient care. The intervention included training/education; use of reminders in the workplace; and introduction of 70% isopropyl alcohol hand rub in strategic 'points of care' places. The WHO hand hygiene evaluation and feedback tool was used for the assessment of the health workers perception.

Results: A total of 71 (65.7 %) out of 110 respondents participated in the hand hygiene training conducted during the period of the study; however only 58 of the respondents (53.7 %) routinely use alcohol-based hand rub. In the assessment of the knowledge of the main route of cross contamination and the most frequent source of germs responsible for HCAI, 45.9% and 43.9 % of the respondents respectively answered correctly. The follow-up perception survey conducted among the participants indicates that 63.2% of them admitted that the training/educational activities they participated in were very important to improve their hand hygiene practices.

Conclusion: Hand hygiene campaigns using the WHO tools and methodology can improve hand hygiene knowledge, perception and compliance of the health workers.

Author Biographies

Dr. C.J. Uneke

Department of Medical Microbiology/Parasitology,

Faculty of Clinical Medicine,

Ebonyi State University

PMB 053

Abakaliki Nigeria.

Tel: +234-8038928597

Prasopa-Plaizier N

The World Health Organization Patient Safety Research Programme Avenue Appia 20, CH-1211 Geneva 27, Switzerland

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Published

03-11-2020

How to Cite

1.
Uneke C, Ndukwe C, Prasopa-Plaizier N, Oyibo P, Nwakpu K, Nnabu R. Assessment of Health Workers’ Knowledge, Perception and Compliance Following a World Health Organisation Multimodal Hand Hygiene Intervention Campaign an a Nigerian Teaching Hospital. AJTMBR [Internet]. 2020 Nov. 3 [cited 2024 Apr. 19];1(4):18-2. Available from: https://www.ajtmbr.org.ng/index.php/home/article/view/24