Qualitative data from a pilot study of the the SuperTowel (an alternative hand cleaning product for humanitarian crises)

Abstract

This data relates to research conducted in a refugee camp in Ethiopia. The research aimed to understand the acceptability and use of the SuperTowel - a product designed to make it easier for crisis-affected populations to clean their hands in emergencies. The SuperTowel is a microfiber fabric with a antimicrobial treatment applied to it. When dipped in water and wiped on hands it removes germs from hands and then the antimicrobial treatment kills pathogens. The treatment is permanent, does not use toxic chemicals and has been proven in controlled laboratory conditions to be as efficacious as handwashing with soap. This dataset includes transcripts from three focus group discussions and 19 household interviews. The households that were interviewed trailed using the SuperTowel over a period of 13 days and the transcripts reflect discussions held on the first day of the trial, mid-way through the trial, and at the end of the trial. The FGDs were designed to compare the SuperTowel to other hand cleaning products and to understand whether the SuperTowel could be used intuitively with minimal direction.