Could the Supertowel be used as an alternative hand cleaning product for emergencies? An acceptability and feasibility study in a refugee camp in Ethiopia

Supertowel is easy to distribute as the product is light weight, low volume and durable. With Supertowel, you may wash your hands anywhere, any time and with minimal water and no soap consumption. This study aims to assess whether the Supertowel could be an acceptable and feasible product for crisis-affected populations.

Diarrhoeal diseases are a major contributor to morbidity and mortality in humanitarian crises. Handwashing with soap may reduce diarrhoea by up to 47%, however, the circumstances associated with displacement make it challenging for crisis-affected populations to be able to wash their hands with soap.

Supertowel is an alternative hand-cleaning product, proven to be as efficacious as handwashing with soap. Real Relief has recieved two grants from the HIF for this project. The Supertowel is a micro-fibre towel with an anti-microbial treatment. When dipped in water it is capable of removing and killing pathogens from hands.

Read this article and find out about the methods, results and conclusions about using Supertowel as an alternative to handwashing.

Photo Credit: Real Relief, children in Tamil Nadu, India, using the Supertowel