Impact of a hand hygiene curriculum and group handwashing station at two primary schools in East Africa

Handwashing drastically reduces the transmission of deadly, preventable diseases. Schools, even those with limited resources, have the power to promote handwashing through simple, effective interventions. This study evaluated the impact of a school-based handwashing program consisting of two interventions: a hand-hygiene curriculum and group handwashing station. Mixed quantitative and qualitative pre/post intervention surveys were administered to students at one primary school in Kenya (n=38) and at one primary school in Uganda (n=57). Identical procedures were followed at each school. Paired t-tests for pre/post-surveys demonstrated an increase in students’ knowledge (