'Use 123 to get Germ Free': Extending the Reach and Impact of a Hand Hygiene Intervention

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ContextIn the previously funded project ('Lifting the Lid on Bacteria') children devised many interesting ideas to help communicate the importance of hand hygiene to their peers when in school toilet spaces. The final overall concept developed was 'Use 123 to get germ free' and this message, and associated messages/graphics were placed imaginatively in cubicles, on washing devices and around the wall areas. The areas where the designs were installed (in 3 primary schools and in Eureka! Museum) became much more colourful, engaging and helped improve hand hygiene by increasing the use of soap by between 41% and 60%. The designs were very well received by the children who helped create them the people that used the space and other stakeholders. The project won the 'Best Education and Research Award' at the E-Bug Conference, London in January 2019 and we have given invited presentations in Denmark and Nepal. We have also published 3 journal articles and have 3 articles under review as part of the previous project.Aims and ObjectivesThis project aims to enhance the commercial viability of our wall-based graphics. In the previous research, through interviews with teachers and children, 3 areas were identified that would exploit the 123 concept further - 1) the need for a classroom-based introduction to the designs, 2) an element of the design that teachers could easily customise or alter when there are outbreaks of infection and 3) a take-home pack for parents to ensure the message moves from school to the home. We propose to carry out these extensions to the concept to create a more desirable '123' package for schools to use and we will work with a partner school, through co-design workshops with teachers, children and parents, to ensure ideas match their needs. Once finalised, the package will be made available to download at minimal cost through a University fast-licensing system and we will identify a reliable printer/materials to recommend to schools.We also aim to share our designs with a wider audience. In the previous project the graphics were placed in 3 schools and a children's museum and we wish to extend their use both to other schools and to tailor the concept for new audiences. Through attendance at a national head teachers conference and by running an event for local schools, we hope to raise awareness of the 123 concept and disseminate the designs further. In terms of new audiences we propose to work with a pre-school to tailor the designs for children under 5 and to develop a script to aid understanding. We also intend to install the designs in the Thackray Medical Museum and understand, through liaison with the museum staff, how to tailor the concept for their visitors. We also will test out and tailor how the design concept works in a new international context, working in a school in Uganda. Two short films will be created that will help bring the concept to life for potential new users. The final stage of the activities involves targeted promotion of the product and contacting potential new organisations who may wish to use the product. Downloads of the product will be monitored and follow-up feedback sought.Potential Application and BenefitsEvidence gathered from the previous project highlights an increase in soap usage and reduction in instances of dirty hands. The designs therefore play an important role in infection reduction, improving cleanliness standards overall and enhancing the appeal of spaces. By widening the audience for the designs and developing add-on components to exploit the concept further, more schools, children and parents will benefit, in health terms, from improved hand hygiene. By introducing the work to 3 new audiences we will be able to instil better awareness of hand hygiene at pre-school age, we will be able to customise the designs for adults and broaden the dissemination of the concept and lastly, impact positively upon hygiene habits in a Global South context.