Disposable Medical Gloves Market Size

Disposable Medical Gloves Market Analysis

The disposable medical gloves market is projected to register a CAGR of 10.4% during the forecast period.

• COVID-19 significantly impacted the disposable medical gloves market owing to its high demand for medical, diagnostic, and self-care purposes during the viral infection phase. The government encouraged the use of disposable gloves and masks worldwide to deal with people infected by the SARS-CoV-2 virus. For instance, according to the study published in August 2021 by the National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI), 11.3% of patients with COVID-19 in 314 United Kingdom hospitals became infected after hospital admission. Thus, to prevent such HAIs, the use of disposable medical gloves was highly recommended.
• Similarly, as per an article published by NCBI in March 2022, the use of single-use nitrile gloves has sharply increased since the Coronavirus outbreak in Australia. Therefore, the market has reported significant growth in the last few years. Currently, the market growth has slightly seized as the COVID cases declined. The market is expected to show stable growth in the forecast year.
• In addition, the rise in infectious disease instances and the increasing number of hospital/medical facilities are actively impacting the growth of the studied market.
• As reusable medical devices are used for multiple patients, there are chances of inadequate cleaning of the devices, which increases the risk of infection by many folds. For instance, a Food Drug and Administration (FDA) article updated in April 2022, reported that inadequate cleaning between patient uses can result in the retention of blood, tissue, and other biological debris (soil) in certain types of reusable medical devices, such as endoscopes. This debris can allow microbes to survive the subsequent disinfection or sterilization process, which may then lead to healthcare-associated infections (HAIs). Inadequate reprocessing can also result in other adverse patient outcomes, such as tissue irritation from residual reprocessing materials like chemical disinfectants. Hence, it is advisable to use disposable gloves in hospitals and clinics while using any medical device or during surgical procedures to reduce the risk of transmission of bacteria and viruses to patients, thereby propelling the utility of disposable medical gloves.
• Moreover, a research article published in BMC Public Health Journal in March 2021 stated that patients in ICUs are twice as likely to face HAIs than patients in the general wards. It also reported that the global prevalence of ICU-acquired infections (ICU-AIs) is around 51.4%, and the prevalence of this type of infection is estimated to be 9% to 37% in Europe and the USA. As per the research study, the overall rate of ICU-AIs was 96.61 per 1000 patients and 16.82 per 1000 patient days in Iran's hospitals in 2021. Thus, there is an increasing demand for disposable medical gloves to prevent the further spread of such hospital-acquired infections.
• The strategic initiatives by market players, such as partnerships, product launches, and expansions, are also contributing to the market growth during the forecast period. For instance, in February 2022, Kimberly-Clark Worldwide, Inc. launched the Kimtech Opal Nitrile Gloves, which provide guards against contamination by chemical splash and microorganism hazards. The gloves are efficient because they are free of natural rubber latex and vulcanizing agents, thereby reducing the risk of Type I and Type IV glove-associated skin reactions. Also, in April 2022, Unigloves launched a new biodegradable disposable nitrile gloves named BioTouch. Such launches are expected to augment the market growth during the forecast period.
• Therefore, owing to the aforementioned factors, such as rising HAIs leading to high demand for disposable medical gloves and expansion initiatives by market players for medical gloves manufacturing and supply, the studied market is anticipated to witness growth over the analysis period. However, the environmental impact associated with the disposal of these gloves is expected to restrain the market growth over the forecast period.