Hand hygiene is an important measure to reduce the risk of infections related to care proceedings. WHO proposes to use alcohol-based hand rubas a strategy for improving hand hygiene in health care settings. As part oftheimplementation of this strategy, Senegal has initiated anational action planfor the installation ofmanufacturing unitsin hospital pharmaciesand national medicinessuppliers.

The objective is to strengthen the capacity ofall pharmaciesin thelocal manufacturingof the product and to assess the capabilities of each structure to house a manufacturing unit.

To install these units the Minister of Health signed a circular allowing us to do a situational analysis of pharmacies. The study was funded by Intrahealth.

We visited 39 pharmacies. In 35 pharmacies we found at least one pharmacist and a pharmacy technician in each structure. The premises were compliant production in 70% of cases. Only 12% of pharmacies had equipment.

In Senegal is located one of the pilot hospital of the African Patient Safety Partnerships Program supported by the WHO for local production of alcohol-based hand rub.The experience of thishospitalis used toestablish apartnership between the Departmentof Health andIntrahealth, USAIDagencyinvolved inthe provision ofqualitycare.These results will be shared with the University Hospitals of Geneva.

None declared