Alcohol Hand Gel Use in Mbale Regional Referral Hospital: a Cost Effectiveness Evaluation

Ministry of Health through the National Medical Stores has supplied alcohol-based handgels to the different health facilities in Uganda for the health care providers to use during clinical care. However, constant stock-outs and or limited supplies remains the main constraint faced by the hospitals. Thus the handgels are generally used by a few of the senior health care providers. The promotion of bedside, antiseptic handrubs largely contributes to the increase in compliance and sustained improvement of hand hygiene compliance reduces Health care acquired infections (HCAIs), but it is not yet established how cost- effective the intervention is in a a rural Ugandan hospital where funds are severely rationed and, which serves over 4 million people in over 15 districts in Uganda. An evaluation of an intervention's cost-effectiveness is a crucial factor in whether the government will be prepared to fund the intervention and sustain it. This WardGel study thus aims to assess the cost-benefit of providing hand gel for all health care workers in Mbale Regional Referral Hospital.