Background: Environmental contamination within healthcare facilities contributes significantly to healthcare-associated infections and the transmission of infectious diseases, particularly in low resource healthcare settings. Effective environmental cleaning and surface disinfection are critical components of infection prevention and control systems. The Kutuba campaign was implemented in selected districts in Zambia to promote sustainable hygiene behaviour change using a behaviour centred approach.

Objective: To determine whether healthcare workers exposed to the Kutuba campaign demonstrated improved cleaning and surface disinfection practices compared to healthcare workers in facilities not exposed to the campaign.

Methods: A comparative quantitative study was conducted among healthcare workers from 24 healthcare facilities in Monze District, Zambia. Twelve facilities had implemented the Kutuba campaign while twelve had not. Data was collected from 58 respondents using semi-structured questionnaires. Statistical analysis was conducted using STATA version 14.0. Two-sample tests of proportions, chi-square tests, Fisher’s exact tests, risk ratios, and odds ratios were used to assess differences in surface cleaning and disinfection practices between exposed and non-exposed groups.

Results: Among healthcare workers exposed to the Kutuba campaign, 55.0% reported cleaning and disinfecting surfaces at least three times daily compared to 34.2% among non-exposed respondents. The difference in proportions was 20.8%; however, the difference was not statistically significant (p=0.127). Healthcare workers exposed to the campaign had higher odds of frequent surface cleaning and disinfection compared to non-exposed workers (OR=2.35; 95% CI: 0.78–7.11). The risk ratio for frequent surface cleaning among exposed respondents was 1.61.

Conclusion: Although statistically significant differences were not observed, healthcare workers exposed to the Kutuba campaign demonstrated higher odds of practicing frequent surface cleaning and disinfection. Behaviour-centred hygiene interventions may contribute to strengthening infection prevention and control practices when integrated with broader environmental hygiene and healthcare systems strengthening interventions.