As part of efforts to improve care for our newborns and reduce hospital acquired infections at the NICU of the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital; the neonatal sepsis work package under the HAI-Ghana project is embarking on a campaign to improve hand hygiene practices at the unit. The campaign was launched at the unit on 12^th September 2018 with the slogan “use alcohol hand rub, save a neonate today”. The launch was attended by the Medical Director of the hospital Dr.Daniel Asiamah, Director of Nursing Mrs. Rita Aryee, the acting Head of the Department of Child Health Prof. Bamenla Goka, the head of unit, Dr. Agyiri Sackey, Prof. Christabel Enweronu-Laryea co-supervisor neonatal sepsis work package, Prof. Mercy J Newman, the PI of the HAI Ghana project as well as staff from the department of child health and other departments.

Participants were introduced to the importance of hand hygiene in neonatal care and the components of the WHO multi-modal hand hygiene strategy. There was also a demonstration session on the appropriate use of alcohol hand rub.

The current hand hygiene promotion campaign is based on the WHO multi-modal hand hygiene strategy including components of: system change, improved communication in the form of reminders (posters) at the workplace, education on hand hygiene, audit and feedback of practices and outcomes, and fostering a safety climate in the unit. Activities in the current campaing include provision of alcohol hand rub at the bedside of each neonate, augmenting the number of cotton hand towels, increasing the number of reminders on hand hygiene in the unit, monitoring of alcohol consumption volumes as well as hand hygiene compliance; with feedback provided via a notice board.

The campaign will be running for approximately 6 months and will provide continuously feedback on the results obtain on hand hygiene practices as well as on the effect on infections and clinical outcomes of our babies.

Join the campaign!

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