Hand Hygiene Compliance and Its Associated Factors Among Health Care Workers at Mogadishu Somali Turkiye Recep Tayyip Erdoğan Training and Research in a Tertiary Care Hospital

Suad Abdikarim Isse,1 Ahmet Do&gbreve;an,2 Tigad Abdisad Ali,1 Jabir Abdullahi Wehlie,3 Abdirahim Ali Adam,4 Hüsna Öztürk5 1Department of Infect&inodot;on Prevent&inodot;on Control, Mogad&inodot;shu Somal&inodot; Turk&inodot;ye Recep Tayy&inodot;p Erdogan Tra&inodot;n&inodot;ng and Research Hosp&inodot;tal, Mogadishu, Somalia; 2Department of Infectious Diseases and Clinical Microbiology, Abant Izzet Baysal University Faculty of Medicine, Bolu, Turkiye; 3Department of Dermatology, New Vision Hospital, Mogadishu, Somalia; 4Department of Infectious Diseases and Clinical Microbiology, Mogadishu-Somalia-Turkiye Recep Tayyip Erdo&gbreve;an Training and Research Hospital, Mogadishu, Somalia; 5Department of Infectious Control Nurse Istanbul Ko&scedil;uyolu Yüksek &Idot;htisas E&gbreve;itim ve Ara&scedil;t&inodot;rma Hastanesi, Istanbul, TurkiyeCorrespondence: Suad Abdikarim Isse; Tigad Abdisad Ali, Email [email protected]; [email protected]: Hand hygiene is a critical preventive measure for controlling infections, particularly in underdeveloped nations.Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted in a hospital in Mogadishu, Somalia, from January to March 2024. This study aimed to assess compliance with hand hygiene practices and related factors among healthcare professionals.Results: The study population comprised 52% men and 47.3% women. Most participants held bachelor’s degrees, with the majority being nurses or midwives. A significant proportion had over five years of work experience. Almost all participants were knowledgeable about hand hygiene. Most reported cleaning and drying their hands before, during, and after contact with bodily fluids during aseptic procedures. Age, gender, educational status, marriage, working experience, type of occupation, receiving hand hygiene training and knowledge, and having the availability of water, soap, alcohol, and gloves significantly affected the overall uptake of infection control measures in Mogadishu (p< 0.05).Conclusion: The findings highlight an urgent need for targeted interventions to enhance hand hygiene practices in Somalia. Addressing training gaps and resource shortages is crucial for reducing infection rates and safeguarding patient health in this high-risk setting.Keywords: hand hygiene compliance, healthcare workers, Mogadishu, Somalia, infection control