Multi-country study of washable absorbent continence products

Overview

Incontinence (the involuntary loss of urine or faeces) is a global health and social care challenge.  For many of the hundreds of millions of people living with daily incontinence globally, treatment is not available or not effective.  These people rely on products to contain leakage to maintain health and quality of life. Absorbent products (either disposable or washable) are the most commonly used, but only around a quarter of people have access to them and many improvise using items such as old clothing.

Aim

At the moment, specifically designed washable absorbent products are not widely used or easily available despite being an effective option for many. To understand more about the use of these products and the potential for wide-scale adoption, this research examined the usability and acceptability of washable products, in three countries: India, Papua New Guinea and Romania.

Key Findings

Working together with our partners in each country and with support from the World Health Organisation, we found that these products can substantially improve the quality of life of many people living with long-term incontinence; but available designs do not work well for everyone. Appropriate assessment, access to clean water and the opportunity to try products (preferably a range of products) are key to successful product use.  The products are currently under-used and both awareness and accessibility need to be raised amongst end-users, including family members or caregivers, providers, manufacturers and product innovators. To maximise their usefulness, product and service innovation is urgently required to increase sustainable access to high-quality products and associated services.

Acknowledgements

Thank you to the following organizations for their support in the research: Mobility India; the Rural Development Trust, India; Indian Institute of Public Health; Health Facilities Standards Branch and National Orthotics and Prosthetics Service, National Department of Health, Papua New Guinea; National Capital District Provincial Health Authority, Papua New Guinea; Papua New Guinea Eye Care; Port Moresby General Hospital Eye Clinic, Papua New Guinea; and Motivation Romania. Thanks also to the World Health Organization for coordination and technical support, including the Access to assistive technology team in Geneva, country offices in India, Papua New Guinea and Romania, and regional offices: Regional Office for the Western Pacific; Regional Office for South-East Asia and Regional Office for Europe. Thanks also to the Government of Germany for providing financial support for this project.

Project members

Professor Cathy Murphy

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