Evaluation of Hand Hygiene Compliance and Bacterial Contamination of Healthcare Workers’ Hands in Federal Medical Centre, Birnin Kebbi, Kebbi State

Hand hygiene is recognized as the most effective and cost-efficient intervention for preventing healthcare-associated infections, yet compliance among healthcare workers in resource-limited settings remains suboptimal. This study evaluated hand hygiene compliance rates and characterized bacterial contaminants isolated from the hands of healthcare workers at Federal Medical Centre, Birnin Kebbi, Kebbi State, North West Nigeria. A structured observational tool based on WHO's five moments of hand hygiene was used to assess 150 healthcare workers across surgical, medical, and paediatric wards over an eight-week period. Hand contact plate sampling was simultaneously used to recover and characterize bacterial isolates. Results revealed an overall hand hygiene compliance rate of 34.7 percent, with the lowest rates recorded before aseptic procedures (21%) and after patient contact (28%). Bacterial isolates from healthcare workers' hands included Staphylococcus epidermidis (44%), S. aureus (29%), Klebsiella pneumoniae (16%), and E. coli (11%). MRSA was detected on the hands of 12.7 percent of sampled workers. These findings reflect systemic deficiencies in infection control infrastructure and institutional culture at the study facility. The study recommends institution-wide hand hygiene campaigns, provision of alcohol-based hand rub at all patient care points, and integration of hand hygiene metrics into healthcare worker performance evaluations. Keywords: hand hygiene, healthcare workers, MRSA, infection control, Birnin Kebbi.