Event Series:
World Hand Hygiene Day
World Hand Hygiene Day
May 5, 2029
World Hand Hygiene Day
World Hand Hygiene Day is marked every year on May 5. The purpose of this day is to raise awareness of the importance of handwashing. Handwashing prevents the spread of infections. Each year on May 5, the “Save lives: Clean Your Hands” campaign takes place. It is part of a major global effort led by the World Health Organization (WHO). The objective is to mobilize people around the world to increase adherence to hand hygiene. This pertains to all healthcare settings. Handwashing protects healthcare workers and patients from healthcare-associated infections caused by various pathogens.
Saving Lives
Hand hygiene saves millions of lives every year when performed at the right moments during health care delivery. It is also a smart investment that offers exceptional return for each dollar invested. Clean care is a sign of respect to those who seek care, and it protects health and other workers who provide that care.
Now is a critical time when countries across the world need to accelerate implementation of lessons from the COVID-19 pandemic and increase investments to close gaps in infection prevention and control (IPC). This includes hand hygiene. Indeed, many countries are demonstrating strong engagement and advancements in scaling-up those actions, but overall, the progress is slow, and gains are at risk.
Together, we can galvanize action on preventing infections and antimicrobial resistance in health care. Strong and engaged communities of health workers, policy makers and civil society organizations (CSOs) can accelerate and sustain action at the point of care to keep people safe and healthy.
Hand Hygiene Guidance
Healthcare personnel should use an alcohol-based hand rub or wash with soap and water for the following clinical indications:
- Immediately before touching a patient
- Before performing an aseptic task (e.g., placing an indwelling device) or handling invasive medical devices
- Before moving from work on a soiled body site to a clean body site on the same patient
- After touching a patient or the patient’s immediate environment
- After contact with blood, body fluids, or contaminated surfaces
- Immediately after glove removal
Healthcare facilities should:
- Require healthcare personnel to perform hand hygiene in accordance with Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommendations
- Ensure that healthcare personnel perform hand hygiene with soap and water when hands are visibly soiled
- Ensure that supplies necessary for adherence to hand hygiene are readily accessible in all areas where patient care is being delivered
Unless hands are visibly soiled, an alcohol-based hand rub is preferred over soap and water in most clinical situations due to evidence of better compliance compared to soap and water. Hand rubs are generally less irritating to hands and, in the absence of a sink, are an effective method of cleaning hands.
