Commemoration of the World Hand Hygiene day
World Hand Hygiene Day highlights the importance of hand hygiene (HH) in healthcare and it is commemorated globally on 5th May every year.
When a health facility’s “ quality and safety climate” values hand hygiene and infection prevention and control (IPC) this results in both patients and healthcare workers (HCWs) feeling protected and cared for. In order to prioritize clean hands in healthcare facilities, people at all levels need to believe in the importance of hand hygiene and IPC to save lives, by acting as key players in acieveving the appropriate behaviours and attitudes towards it. Healthcare workers at all levels and people accessing healthcare facilities need to unite on ensuring clean hands.
This year’s theme for World Hand Hygiene Day is focused on recognizing that we can add to a facilitie’s climate or culture of safety and quality through cleaning our hands but also that a strong quality and safety culture will encourage people to clean hands at the right times and with the right products.