Multi-component Chlorination Intervention to Reduce Neonatal Infections in Rural Health Facilities
Multi-component Chlorination Intervention to Reduce Neonatal Infections in Rural Health Facilities
The CLEAN (ChLorine to reduce Enteric and Antibiotic resistant infections in Neonates) cluster randomized controlled trial in western Kenya will evaluate the impact of a multi-component chlorination intervention in health care facilities on maternal and neonatal health. Intervention facilities will receive a passive chlorination technology for water supply treatment and a reliable supply of sodium hypochlorite disinfectant. Both intervention and treatment facilities will receive infection prevention and control messaging. The goal of the study is to evaluate the impact of the intervention on bacterial contamination of water supply, on staff hands, and on high-touch surfaces in maternity wards, and the following outcomes among facility-born neonates and their mothers: (1) gut carriage of bacterial pathogens associated with sepsis one week post-birth, (2) gut carriage of antibiotic resistant bacteria one week post-birth, and (3) symptoms of possible serious bacterial infection one week following birth.
The proportion of births occurring at healthcare facilities is rising globally, yet healthcare facilities in low-income settings have been found to be highly contaminated with bacterial pathogens, including antibiotic resistant pathogens. There is a need for effective strategies to reduce contamination in healthcare facilities in order to reduce infection risks among facility-born neonates. In this trial, medium-sized public health facilities will be randomized to control or to receive an intervention consisting of passive chlorination for water supply treatment and a reliable supply of chlorine disinfectant. Reliable supply is randomized as either (a) an electrochlorinator for on-site production or (b) bulk chlorine delivery.
This cluster randomized controlled trial will enroll 36 health facilities to generate rigorous evidence on the maternal and neonatal health benefits of chlorinated water supply paired with reliable supplies of chlorine disinfectant. This study has the following aims: 1) determine the impact of the intervention on pathogenic and antibiotic resistant bacterial contamination in water supplies, on high-touch surfaces, and on healthcare worker hands, 2) quantify intervention effects on gut colonization of mothers and neonates by a panel of pathogenic and antibiotic resistant bacteria species linked to serious infection, using molecular and culture-based methods, and 3) follow up with mother-neonate dyads to measure intervention effects on symptoms of possible serious bacterial infection in the week following birth. Data collection will be for a duration of 24 months.
Infection prevention through effective water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) has been cited by national action plans as a key tool in the fight against antimicrobial resistance and, while global data show dire WASH conditions in low- and middle-income (LMIC) health facilities, there exists very little guidance for implementing effective interventions. The overarching goal is to generate actionable evidence to inform investments in chlorination at health facilities to improve maternal and neonatal health and reduce the threat of antibiotic resistant infections.
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