Policy & Regulations
Soap and running water, one of the sanitation must haves, are the least items likely to be available in a health facility, reads the 2010 SPA report.
When a health facility lacks basic sanitation items like soap, running water and sanitizers, patients are more likely to pick new infections. According to the SPA, in the health facilities surveyed including hospitals, dispensaries, clinics, health centers and stand-alone Voluntary Counseling and Testing centers, seven out of eight do not provide full sanitation in all treatment areas.
In fact, for health facilities in Nairobi only three in five have running water throughout the year, according to the survey.
Additionally, a last year’ s study done by physicians in Virginia Common Wealth University found that high compliance with hand hygiene and having proper waste disposal items reduce rates of Stapholococcus Aureus a bacteria which causes skin and soft tissue injury likely to be transmitted from an hospital environment by 95 per cent.
Percentage Specific health personnel compliance to hand hygiene: |
Source CDC 2015 |
|
After Touching a patients |
After blood Fluid Exposure |
Doctor |
7 % |
1.7 % |
Nurse |
22 % |
4 % |
Hand hygiene: Compliance Among Healthcare Workers |
Activity |
Percentage |
Simplified |
After Touching a patients |
14.2 % |
Seven in 50 health personnel |
Before Touching a patient |
3.7 % |
|
After Blood Fluid Exposure |
2.22 % |
One in 50 |
Source: CDC Kenya Antibiotic Consensus Symposium 2015 |
Health facilities with all sanitation items according to SPA 2010 Type of facility
Percentage with all items for infection control in all assessed service delivery areas
Number of facilities
Hospital |
12 % simplified as 3in 25 |
51 |
Health Center |
21 |
80 |
Maternity |
25 |
17 |
Clinic |
51 |
203 |
Dispensary |
35 |
340 |
Stand Alone VCT |
66 |
5 |
November-December 2016 29