Handwashing Promotion Cost-Effectiveness Studies

Fifteen economic studies analyze the cost-effectiveness of promoting handwashing with soap, a practice shown to reduce diarrhoea risk by 30%. The dataset compiles findings from a systematic review by researcher Ian Ross, published in April 2026. It includes estimates like cost per disability-adjusted life-year averted, ranging from US$37 to US$937.

Use Cases

• Compare cost per disability-adjusted life-year averted across different intervention types and country income levels.
• Analyze the relationship between handwashing adoption rates (e.g., 40%) and benefit-cost ratios (e.g., 2.1).
• Model the economic impact of handwashing promotion by using the included cost-effectiveness thresholds and price data (2024 prices).
• Identify research gaps by examining which outcomes (e.g., respiratory infections) were omitted from the included studies.

Strengths

• Includes 15 distinct economic evaluation studies.
• Reports specific cost-effectiveness metrics, such as a cost range of US$37 to US$937 per disability-adjusted life-year averted.

Limitations

• Limited scope with only 17.5 KB of data, suggesting a summary-level dataset.
• Contains high uncertainty regarding cost-effectiveness thresholds as noted in the source review.
• Geographic bias present, with only 3 of the 15 studies conducted in high-income countries.

Provenance

Source

Systematic review by Ian Ross, sourced from figshare.

Collection Method

Literature review of Medline, Embase, Global Health, EconLit, Web of Science, and grey literature from 1980 to 2025.

Time Range

Studies published from 1980 to 2025.

Freshness

Last updated April 2026.

Geography

Global, with studies from high-income and other country settings.