Synthesising the evidence for effective hand hygiene in community settings: an integrated protocol for multiple related systematic reviews

Hand hygiene is efficacious and effective at reducing the transmission of infectious diseases, yet there are gaps in global normative guidance around hand hygiene in community settings. Multiple systematic reviews were conducted to retrieve and synthesise available evidence on hand hygiene in community settings across four areas: (1) effective hand hygiene; (2) minimum requirements; (3) behaviour change and (4) government measures.

This protocol describes a two-phased approach to identify studies for multiple related systematic reviews on hand hygiene in Community settings.The priority questions and sub-questions for each of these reviews were generated through an extensive consultation process by the WHO with external experts and are intended to inform Global Guidelines on Hand Hygiene in Community Settings.

PROSPERO registration number CRD42023429145