Short Communication: Investigation of the Amount of microbial contamination in hand washing liquid in health centers in Herat province, Afghanistan, 2022

Hospital-acquired infections have always posed a significant threat to hospitalized patients.Washing hands with sufficient amounts of soap and water effectively eliminates a substantial portion of surfacecontaminating agents.Therefore, this research aimed to study the level of microbial contamination in handwashing liquid at health centers in Herat province during 2022.Samples were collected in sterile tubes and incubated in an incubator.They were then cultured on media (EMB and Blood Agar) and incubated again.Finally, the type of contamination on each medium was evaluated using standard methods.Data analysis was performed using Excel and Epi info7 software.After laboratory testing, 72.5% of the samples were found to be positive for microbial contamination, while 27.5% were negative.The pediatrics department showed the highest percentage of contamination.The lack of suitable lids on some liquid soap containers or the use of inappropriate lids led to situations where, after the liquid was finished inside the soap dish, people would remove the lid and insert their hands into the compartment to use the small amount of liquid remaining at the bottom.Therefore, implementing guidelines on the proper use of liquid soap and handwashing, cleaning the soap dish after each complete discharge, and using appropriate soap dish can play an important role in reducing contamination .