Handwashing Promotion Cost-Effectiveness Estimates

Fifteen economic evaluation studies assess the cost-effectiveness of handwashing promotion interventions. The review, authored by Ian Ross and published in 2026, synthesizes evidence from studies published between 1980 and 2025. It reports cost per disability-adjusted life-year averted estimates ranging from US$ 37 to 937.

Use Cases

• Compare cost per disability-adjusted life-year averted across different handwashing promotion strategies using the reported US$ 37 to 937 range.
• Analyze the benefit-cost ratio of 2.1 reported for scenarios with 'medium' adoption and adherence levels.
• Evaluate the geographic bias in evidence by examining the subset of 3 studies conducted in high-income countries.
• Assess study quality and methodology by referencing the Consolidated Health Economic Evaluation Reporting Standards scores.
• Model intervention outcomes using parameters like the 40% population adoption rate and 50% adherence rate from the benefit-cost study.

Strengths

• Systematic review of 15 distinct economic evaluation studies.
• Includes studies published over a 45-year period from 1980 to 2025.
• Reports specific cost-effectiveness estimates, such as US$ 37 to 937 per disability-adjusted life-year averted.

Limitations

• Small evidence base of only 15 studies, with only 3 conducted in high-income countries.
• High uncertainty noted regarding cost-effectiveness thresholds and limited empirical data from implemented interventions.
• Tiny dataset size of 13.5 KB indicates limited raw data, likely containing only summary tables.

Provenance

Source

Ian Ross via figshare.

Collection Method

Systematic literature review of Medline, Embase, Global Health, EconLit, Web of Science, and grey literature.

Time Range

Studies published from January 1, 1980 to September 3, 2025.

Freshness

Last updated in April 2026.

Geography

Global, with specific mention of high-income countries.