1.Assessment of hand hygiene conditions in selected healthcare facilities in Mongolia
Myagmarjargal N ; ; Bolor B ; Tuguldur M ; Oyunbileg D ; Enkhjargal A
Mongolian Journal of Health Sciences 2026;97(7):100-105
Background:
Hand hygiene is a fundamental component of infection prevention and control in healthcare settings. Effective hand hygiene requires functional infrastructure and the consistent availability of essential supplies, including clean water, soap, hand disinfectants, and hand-drying materials. Assessing these conditions is essential for identifying gaps in service provision and informing targeted improvements in healthcare facilities.
Aim:
To assess hand hygiene conditions and the availability of essential handwashing supplies in selected healthcare facilities in Mongolia.
Materials and Methods:
An analytical cross-sectional study was conducted in 20 healthcare facilities located in urban and rural areas of Mongolia. Hand hygiene conditions and the availability of essential supplies were assessed at 186 handwashing stations using a structured observation checklist. Additionally, information on the budgeting and financial planning of handwashing supplies was collected from each participating healthcare facility using a structured questionnaire. Data were analyzed using IBM SPSS Statistics version 27.0. Ethical approval was obtained from the Research Ethics Committee of the Mongolian National University of Medical Sciences on April 17, 2026 (Approval No. 26/04-01).
Results:
Of the 186 observation points, 55.9% were located in urban areas and 44.1% in rural areas. Overall, 92.5% had functional handwashing sinks, 88.2% had access to clean water, 73.7% had liquid soap, 57.0% had disposable paper towels, and 52.2% had hand sanitizer available at the handwashing station. Accessible handwashing facilities for persons with disabilities were identified at 26.3% of observation points. The availability of liquid soap (82.7% vs 62.2%; p=0.002) and hand sanitizer (72.1% vs 26.8%; p<0.001) was significantly higher in urban than in rural areas. Among the 20 healthcare facilities, 80.0% allocated a budget for handwashing supplies, but only 5.0% based their budget planning on actual soap consumption reports.
Conclusion
Although basic handwashing infrastructure was generally available in the surveyed healthcare facilities, gaps persisted in the availability of essential hand hygiene supplies, particularly in rural areas. Limited accessibility for persons with disabilities and the infrequent use of consumption data in budget planning indicate areas requiring improvement. Strengthening the continuous provision of hand hygiene supplies, improving accessible infrastructure, and adopting consumption-based budgeting practices are essential priorities for improving hand hygiene conditions in healthcare facilities.
2.Assessment result of maintain a proper hand hygiene conditions in healthcare facilities of Mongolia
Bolor B ; Batdulam D ; Nasantogtokh S ; Myagmardorj Ch ; Myagmarjargal M ; Unurzaya E ; Oyun-Erdene O ; Enkhjargal A ; Tsegmed S
Mongolian Medical Sciences 2025;211(1):28-35
Introduction:
Safe and accessible WASH services in healthcare facilities are crucial for maintaining high
quality care, especially for maternal and newborn health. The WHO-UNICEF JMP on Water
Supply, Sanitation, and Hygiene provides reports on progress in water supply, sanitation,
and hygiene services at global, regional, and national levels, covering populations, schools,
and healthcare facilities. This assessment was conducted to address the insufficient data on
the level of hand hygiene services in healthcare facilities, following the methodology of the
JMP.
Materials and Methods:
A cross-sectional study was conducted in 319 healthcare facilities. Availability of hand hygiene
services in the study healthcare facilities was assessed using questionnaire of methodology
of the JMP. Data were analyzed using SPSS 25.0 software. Relevant parametric and non
parametric statistical analysis were conducted.
Results:
Overall, 72% and 28% of healthcare facilities had basic and limited hand hygiene service
respectively. About 18% of private healthcare facilities had limited hand hygiene service
compared to 34% of state healthcare facilities. While 20% of urban healthcare facilities had
limited hand hygiene service, 56% of rural healthcare facilities do. When examining the
level of hand hygiene services by type of medical care, specialty hospitals have 100% basic
services. Among primary care facilities, 83% of family health centers provide basic services,
while 41% of soum and village health centers meet these standards.
Conclusion
The basic hand hygiene services in urban healthcare facilities and specialty hospitals were
generally sufficient. There need to enhance basic hand hygiene service at the soum and village level. Among the assessed facilities, 81.0% met four out of the five key hand hygiene
requirements outlined in the national standard. However, additional budget allocation for
maintenance and operational costs for keeping soap and sustaining water running remains
crucial to ensure sustained compliance and quality.
Result Analysis
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