Access to Functional Hand Hygiene Facilities

Hand Hygiene: Facility: Any device enabling effective hand cleaning (e.g., sink with tap, water tank with tap, bucket with tap, alcohol-based hand rub dispensers). Functional: Must have alcohol-based hand rub or soap and water at points of care. Soap and water should be within 5m of toilets. Points of Care: Locations where care or treatment is delivered (e.g., exam rooms). Within 5m of Toilets: Hand hygiene facilities must be located within 5m of toilets

Hand hygiene is an important aspect of infection prevention and control in HCF, both at points of care and at toilets.
Question G-H1 asks about the availability of functional hand hygiene facilities at points of care, which are important to deliver safe care and reduce infections. Hand hygiene facilities may consist of either soap and water or alcohol based hand rub (ABHR) (which health care workers may carry around with them).
Question G-H2 asks about handwashing facilities at toilets, another critical moment for hand hygiene. The term hand washing is used as ABHR is not an effective solution for hand hygiene at toilets because it does not remove faecal matter.

RECOMMENDED SURVEY QUESTIONS (Q)

G-H1 is there a functional hand hygiene facility at points of care on the day of the survey?
Response options: yes / no, there are hand hygiene facilities at points of care but not functional, or lacking soap and water or alcohol-based hand rub / no, no hand hygiene facilities at points of care / no, no hand hygiene facilities at the health care facility - end survey
Note: For facilities with multiple consultation rooms or areas, select one at random and observe if a functional hand hygiene facility is present. A functional hand hygiene facility is any device that enables staff, patients and visitors to clean their hands effectively. It may consist of soap and water with a basin/pan for washing hands, or alcohol-based hand rub (ABHR). If ABHR is used, health care staff may carry a dispenser around between points of care. Chlorinated water (a prepared solution of chlorine suspended in water) is not considered an adequate substitute for soap and water or for ABHR. Points of care are any location in the health care facility where care or treatment is delivered (e.g. consultation/exam rooms). The term “hand hygiene” is used in place of “handwashing”, because this is an umbrella term that also includes cleaning hands with ABHR.
G-H2 is there a functional handwashing facility at one or more toilets on the day of the survey?
Response options: yes / no, there are handwashing facilities near the toilets but lacking soap and/or water / no, no handwashing facilities near toilets (within 5 metres)
 

Note: Handwashing facilities at toilets must include water and soap, rather than ABHR alone, since ABHR does not remove faecal matter. Check “yes” if at least one toilet has a handwashing facility with soap and water within 5 meters. .