New York, NY, March 7, 2025 — The International Rescue Committee (IRC) has named the latest winners of the Wazoku crowdsourcing challenge which launched in April 2024 and focused on finding solutions to improve hand hygiene for individuals working in healthcare settings.
This challenge, “Improving Health Provider Hand Hygiene,” called on applicants to propose new or improve existing solutions to reduce healthcare-associated infections (HAIs) by improving the sanitation practices of health providers.
The three solutions named as the winners are:
Cold Plasma: Abdullah Olgun, Turkey
Ozonated Water: John Wiltse, United States
Apron Pockets: Abdulquadri Oyinlola, Nigeria
These three solutions, comprising both novel designs and the integration of existing technologies, displayed incredible innovation in how they met the listed requirements for improving hand hygiene effectiveness, compliance, and adherence. Abdullah, John, and Abdulquadri were chosen from among 85 submissions originating from 35 different countries. The IRC and Wazoku have now awarded 18 problem solvers over the course of four challenges, with three additional challenges in the judging process and many projects at the prototyping or piloting stages across the globe.
In recent years, the IRC, along with many other global public health stakeholders like the World Health Organization, has placed a growing emphasis on the crucial importance of hand hygiene as part of a strategy to prevent and control the spread of HAIs. An estimated 15% of all hospital patients in low- and middle-income countries will acquire at least one HAI while they are hospitalized and 1 in 10 of those who become infected this way will die as a result.
Handwashing can be a challenge in facilities without water or where the water source is far from where patients are treated. Hand sanitizer, so visible during the onset of the Covid-19 crisis, is challenging to keep in stock, as evidenced by the countless empty dispensers visible in public spaces. This challenge’s conclusion is an opportunity to bring about innovative, cost-effective and scalable improvements to the wider public health sector.
To learn more about the IRC’s crowdsourcing program, visit: https://www.wazokucrowd.com/showcases/international-rescue-committee/