Successful implementation of the World Health Organization hand hygiene improvement strategy in a referral hospital in Mali, Africa.

Objective: To assess the feasibility and effectiveness of the World Health Organization hand hygiene improvement strategy in a low-income African country.

Design: A before-and-after study from December 2006 through June 2008, with a 6-month baseline evaluation period and a follow-up period of 8 months from the beginning of the intervention.

Setting: University Hospital, Bamako, Mali.