Reducing infection risks in maternity and neonatal wards through improved environmental hygiene: an exploratory study in The Gambia.
Medical Research Council
London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine
The aim of this research is to explore the links between environmental hygiene and infection risks in maternity and neonatal units in two hospitals in the Gambia. We will use the learning derived from this preliminary work to convene a network of researchers to build the case for a future African trial of this intervention against an infectious outcome across multiple neonatal units. The specific objectives are 1. To establish baseline measurements of environmental contamination in the maternity and neonatal units in two hospitals in The Gambia, including two-weekly variability in such measures; 2. To develop a contextually appropriate cleaning training package specifically for newborn units in LMICs, with a focus on sub-Saharan Africa 3. To pilot this training package intervention in two large hospitals in The Gambia and measure potential impact on environmental cleanliness. 4. To establish a network of researchers and relevant WASH/IPC stakeholders, including the regional Maternal-Newborn Infection network and Infection Control Africa Network (ICAN), and build collaborations to support a future West African trial of the same cleaning intervention across multiple regional neonatal units, bringing together academic partners in West Africa and the UK. Cleaning in newborn care units including NICUs has some important technical differences to cleaning other hospital areas. Due to the intense vulnerability of patients and the delicacy of medical equipment, typically different cleaning staff, chemical agents and physical methods are typically used. We will observe use of cleaning products and techniques, and hand hygiene as well as measure environmental contamination before and after the introduction of a cleaning training package intervention.
3.2 Interventions to alter physical and biological environmental risks / Research Grant