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SYSTEMATIC REVIEW article

Front. Public Health
Sec. Public Health Policy
Volume 12 - 2024 | doi: 10.3389/fpubh.2024.1417866

Influence of Government Policies on Handwashing and Vaccine Uptake in Kenya, Uganda, and Tanzania to Prevent and Control COVID-19: A Systematic Review

Provisionally accepted
Josphat Martin Muchangi Josphat Martin Muchangi 1*James Mturi James Mturi 2Hajra Mukasa Hajra Mukasa 3Kioko Kithuki Kioko Kithuki 4Sarah Jebet Kosgei Sarah Jebet Kosgei 4Lennah Muhoja Kanyangi Lennah Muhoja Kanyangi 4Rogers Mararo Rogers Mararo 4Samuel Kamau Samuel Kamau 5Maureen Nankanja Maureen Nankanja 2
  • 1 Amref Health Africa, Nairobi, Kenya
  • 2 Amref Health Africa, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania
  • 3 Amref Health Africa, Kampala, Uganda
  • 4 Amref International University, Nairobi, Nairobi, Kenya
  • 5 Other, Nairobi, Kenya

The final, formatted version of the article will be published soon.

    The government's role in influencing policies related to Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccine distribution and handwashing practices is essential in controlling the spread of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2. (SARSCoV-2). This study aimed to systematically review published studies to determine howexplore the influence of government policies have influenced on handwashing and vaccine uptake in Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania to prevent and control COVID-19. A comprehensive search strategy was applied across three databases, and eligibility was determined using strict inclusion and exclusion criteria. We reviewed 9 of 136 research papers following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis (PRISMA) guidelines. A comprehensive search strategy was applied across three databases, and eligibility was determined using strict inclusion and exclusion criteria. The findings revealed that the government has a role in influencing policies related to COVID-19 vaccine distribution and handwashing uptake. Employment of public health campaigns and communication strategies by the government in Uganda increased vaccine acceptance and hand hygiene uptake. Similarly, government efforts to make hand hygiene accessible increased the uptake of handwashing in Tanzania. In Kenya, government efforts to increase access to soap and clean water in informal settlements and markets resulted in increased adherence to handwashing practices. Further, government incentives such as cash increased vaccination rates while vaccination reminders combined with cash incentives increased childhood immunization immunisation coverage. Overall, this review indicates that monitoring and enforcing compliance increases vaccine and handwashing uptake across the three countries. The effectiveness of government policies on handwashing and vaccine uptake is influenced by factors such as safety, efficacy and access to information, among others.Therefore, there is a need to address these factors for the successful implementation of these policies.

    Keywords: Handwashing, COVID-19 vaccine, uptake, policy, Government, Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania Registration: PROSPERO ID CRD42023396319

    Received: 15 Apr 2024; Accepted: 20 Nov 2024.

    Copyright: © 2024 Muchangi, Mturi, Mukasa, Kithuki, Kosgei, Kanyangi, Mararo, Kamau and Nankanja. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.

    * Correspondence: Josphat Martin Muchangi, Amref Health Africa, Nairobi, Kenya

    Disclaimer: All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article or claim that may be made by its manufacturer is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher.