Medical Protective Clothing Market

Market Overview

The global medical protective clothing market size was valued at USD 537.8 million in 2023 and is projected to reach  USD 1.0 billion by 2032, registering a CAGR of 7.8% during the forecast period (2024-2032). The increasing number of surgeries globally is expected to contribute to the growth of the medical protective clothing market share.

Medical protective clothing is personal protective equipment, including garments that protect blood, bodily fluids, and other harmful microorganisms that can transfer infectious diseases. It involves coveralls, surgical gowns, and isolation gowns. They are usually difficult to wear and can be uncomfortable, but they reduce the chances of contamination. According to studies evaluating different types of personal protective equipment (PPE), gowns with gloves attached at the cuff and modified gowns that are tighter at the neck can protect people from health risks.

Medical protective clothing plays a significant role in offering adequate protection to medical professionals. These clothing have applications in different working environments that can be hazardous for legs or feet, including chemical spillage, falling objects, dampness, abrasive materials, etc. Chemical and oil-resistant soles are increasingly being used on footwear, and safety shoes with steel toe caps, gaiters, and leggings are being increasingly adopted for protection. Various beneficial properties, such as high durability, non-inflammability, excellent dimensional stability, and high mechanical strength, are anticipated to augment market growth in various hazardous work fields. However, high investments in R&D activities and the high cost of quality medical protective clothing are expected to restrain the market growth during the forecast period.

Highlights

• Gowns generate the highest revenue share by product.
• Hospitals account for the largest market share by end-user.

Market Dynamics

Global Medical Protective Clothing Market Drivers:

Rising Demand Due to Covid-19

The COVID-19 pandemic has dramatically boosted the demand for medical protective equipment, such as gowns, masks, gloves, and coveralls, to safeguard healthcare workers and frontline responders against infection. According to Worldometer.info, there were 3,543,646 coronavirus cases registered in the United Kingdom alone as of January 22, 2021. The WHO Health Emergency Dashboard reports 2,066,176 deaths and 95,612,831 confirmed COVID-19 cases worldwide. The global surge in COVID-19 cases has resulted in a severe scarcity of personal protective equipment (PPE), pushing governments, healthcare facilities, and organizations to increase manufacturing and purchase of medical protective apparel to meet the rising demand.

In addition, healthcare workers, including doctors, nurses, and other medical personnel, are at a higher risk of contracting the virus due to their proximity to infected patients and involvement in direct patient care. Early in the pandemic, insufficient protective equipment exposed healthcare personnel to increased infection risks, raising worries about their safety and well-being.

Furthermore, governments and public health authorities worldwide responded to the PPE shortage crisis by implementing emergency measures, mobilizing resources, and enacting policies to prioritize producing, allocating, and distributing medical protective clothing to underserved healthcare facilities. These measures intended to guarantee that frontline workers had access to critical PPE and to reduce the virus's transmission within hospital settings.

Global Medical Protective Clothing Market Restraints:

Quality and Compliance Concerns

Medical protective apparel must meet high regulatory criteria and guidelines to ensure safety, efficacy, and acceptability in healthcare environments. To protect users and patients from potential risks and hazards, regulatory bodies such as the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the European Union (EU) Medical Device Regulation (MDR), and the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) establish standards and requirements for personal protective equipment (PPE), including protective clothing.

Furthermore, before being marketed and sold in healthcare settings, FDA-cleared or FDA-approved medical gowns are rigorously tested and evaluated to ensure they meet safety and performance criteria. For example, as of January 2024, the FDA requires all medical gowns to have consistent liquid barrier protection across all seams. The entire gown, save for the cuffs, hems, and bindings, must have a barrier performance of at least Level 1. Non-sterile isolation gowns claiming to fulfill ANSI/AAMI PB70 Level 4 protection must additionally file a 510(k) premarket notification with the FDA to show their safety and effectiveness before being sold.

Moreover, quality assurance techniques and testing processes are required to ensure medical protective apparel's safety, durability, and effectiveness. Manufacturers test protective garments extensively, including mechanical testing, barrier testing, fluid resistance testing, and microbiological penetration testing, to determine their protective characteristics and effectiveness against biological, chemical, and physical dangers.

Global Medical Protective Clothing Market Opportunity:

Increasing Surgeries

Population expansion, aging demographics, the frequency of chronic diseases, and advances in medical technology all contribute to an increase in surgical procedures worldwide. Surgical interventions are critical for diagnosing, treating, and controlling a wide range of medical diseases, from standard procedures like appendectomies and cataract surgeries to more difficult surgeries like organ transplants and heart bypass surgeries.

According to the 2022 Health for Humanity Report, 313 million surgical procedures are conducted globally annually. The top five surgical operations performed worldwide in 2022 were liposuction, breast augmentation, eyelid surgery, abdominoplasty, and breast lifts. In 2022, the United States will execute over 7.4 million surgical procedures, making it the world leader. Other countries with a high number of procedures include Brazil and Japan. However, only 6% of surgical procedures are conducted in the world's poorest countries, which account for more than a third of the global population. Low operating volumes in these nations are linked to increased case fatality rates for common, curable surgical diseases. The increasing demand for surgical services emphasizes the importance of proper medical protective equipment to safeguard the safety and well-being of surgical teams and patients.

Therefore, the rising demand for surgical operations opens the potential for market expansion in the medical protective clothing sector. Manufacturers and suppliers of surgical garments can increase their product offerings, develop innovative solutions, and enter new markets to fulfill the expanding demands of healthcare institutions, surgical teams, and patients worldwide. 

Regional Analysis

The global medical protective clothing market share is bifurcated into North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, the Middle East and Africa and Latin America.

North America Dominates the Global Market

North America is the most significant global medical protective clothing market shareholder and is estimated to grow at a CAGR of 7.4% over the forecast period. The United States is likely to create significant money at the national level. The robust regional market might be ascribed to an increase in the number of procedures in this area. According to the American Association of Hip and Knee Surgeons, the number of knee replacements in the United States will increase by 5.1% in 2023 to around 1.3 million. This comprises 1.08 million primary knee replacements, a 5.0% increase over 2021, and revision knee surgeries, up 8.1%. The American Joint Replacement Registry (AJRR) also reported that in 2022, 194,695 primary total knee arthroplasties (TKAs) were performed in the United States, along with 23,085 revision knee arthroplasties and 8,701 partial knee arthroplasties.

Additionally, the presence of significant market players and their strategies are projected to boost regional market share. For example, in September 2019, Dunlop Protective Footwear (USA) and Upstart Group (USA) partnered to supply protective footwear globally via the Amazon marketplace. The federal government's initiatives, rising demand for better patient care, and increased incidence of chronic infectious diseases such as COVID-19 are expected to boost regional market growth. 

Asia-Pacific is anticipated to exhibit a CAGR of 8.1% over the forecast period, owing to an increase in infection-transmitted disorders such as COVID-19. According to worldmeters.info, Asia has around 20,609,717 novel coronavirus infections out of 83,135,180 total coronavirus cases worldwide. Honeywell International Inc., a market leader, announced a USD 100 million investment in 2016 for geographic growth in Asia-Pacific, including opening R&D facilities in Shanghai and other regional headquarters. Such expansion initiatives by market players to expand their firm networks would drive regional market growth over the predicted period.

Furthermore, a significant increase in the geriatric population susceptible to chronic health infections, the implementation of stringent government regulations regarding health and hygiene, the presence of many hospitals and healthcare centers, and an increase in health awareness are all expected to drive regional market growth.

Europe accounts for a sizable revenue share. Germany's income is expected to grow at a considerable CAGR due to the country's increasing older population. Furthermore, the growth in same-day procedures is expected to boost demand for medical protective clothing in the country. The first COVID-19 deaths were recorded in England and Wales in March 2020. Since then, COVID-19 has been the underlying cause of the majority of COVID-19 deaths (83.5% in England and 82.5% in Wales).

Similarly, in England, COVID-19 fell to the 40th most significant cause of death in July 2023 (from 24th June 2023), with 3.5 deaths per 100,000 persons (175 deaths), accounting for 0.5% of all deaths. The national immunization program is an effective public health intervention in the United Kingdom. The growing number of diseases causing health issues in the United Kingdom and antimicrobial resistance policies have boosted the country's healthcare sector, consequently driving market expansion.

Segmental Analysis

The global medical protective clothing market is segmented based on product and end-use.

The market is further segmented by product into Coveralls and gowns.

Based on the product, the gown category had the most significant market share in 2023 and is expected to hold that position over the forecast period. These gowns, divided into surgical and isolation gowns, are made of fluid-resistant or fluid-impermeable materials to give differing degrees of protection. Surgical gowns are generally used in operating rooms to keep the environment sterile and prevent cross-contamination between the patient and the surgical crew. In contrast, isolation gowns are utilized in standard patient care settings to safeguard healthcare staff from infection. Gowns are designed with ties or fasteners in the back, long sleeves with cuffs, and varied lengths to provide proper coverage and comfort. 

Additionally, the segment growth can be ascribed to increased infection-transmitted diseases such as COVID-19, an older population, and severe regulatory standards for the safety of healthcare workers. The impermeable nature and fluid-resistant surgical and isolation gowns are expected to increase demand. 

The coveralls segment is expected to experience the most growth during the projection period. Coveralls are an essential component of medical protective apparel that provides full-body protection to healthcare personnel. These garments often comprise non-woven materials that provide a barrier to pathogenic agents, fluids, and particulates. Coveralls are especially important in high-risk settings, including infectious illness wards, surgical rooms, and procedures that involve aerosol-generating activities. They are designed to cover the wearer from head to toe, including the chest, arms, and legs, and frequently include hoods and elastic cuffs to ensure a secure fit and reduce exposure. This is owing to its capacity to provide 360-degree security to front-line personnel, especially healthcare professionals. Compliance with international standards EN14126 EN13795 and NFPA 1999 in the United States ensures high-quality products and is expected to boost market growth.

The market can be further bifurcated by end-users into Hospitals and Home Healthcare.

The hospital segment accounted for the most significant global medical protective clothing market share in 2023. Hospitals are the principal end consumers of medical protective clothing due to their substantial and crucial need to safeguard healthcare staff, patients, and visitors from contagious diseases and dangerous substances. Protective clothes such as surgical gowns, isolation gowns, gloves, masks, and coveralls are required to preserve sterile conditions and prevent cross-contamination. Hospitals have strict health and safety policies requiring approved protective equipment to meet regulatory standards and safeguard the safety of personnel and patients. 

In addition, the segment growth can be attributed to the growing adoption of medical protective clothing in hospitals and other healthcare facilities, the rise in the prevalence of chronic infectious diseases, and increasing awareness about appropriate protective clothing for protection against harmful microorganisms and related risks.

Home healthcare is anticipated to record the highest growth. The home healthcare segment is a rising market for medical protective apparel as more patients, particularly the elderly and those with chronic diseases, want to receive treatment at home. Home healthcare services involve various medical procedures, including wound care, dialysis, and physical therapy, all of which require protective garments to ensure the safety of both healthcare workers and patients. Gloves, masks, and gowns are frequently used to prevent the transmission of illnesses and maintain hygiene standards in the home. Home care facilities' ability to offer medical services to patients near their homes will aid the medical protective clothing market growth during the forecast period.

Recent Developments

• February 2024- Ansell, a global PPE inventor, presented a new ultra-textured glove to the market: MICROFLEX® Mega Texture 93-256. 
• May 2024- Kimtech™ Polaris™ Nitrile Exam Glove received ACT Label from My Green Lab®.