Global Handwashing Day

A simple act that takes less than a minute can be the difference between life and death. Yet billions of people around the world still don't have access to basic handwashing facilities at home, at school, or in their local health clinic. As the world marks Global Handwashing Day, the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement is highlighting how hand washing with soap  protects millions of people from deadly diseases  and strengthens communities around the globe. Handwashing with soap is one of the most effective and affordable ways to prevent disease, but too many people still can't access it, leaving them vulnerable to infections that are entirely preventable. "Clean hands are not a luxury – they are a fundamental human right," said Alexandra Machado, IFRC Senior Officer for Water, Sanitation and Hygiene in Public Health. "When we invest in handwashing, we invest in healthier children, stronger economies, and more resilient communities."

  World Hand Hygiene Day 2023 Webinar. Date:  5 May 2023 -  Time:  14:00 – 15:30 pm CEST. Background : Each year, on 5 May, WHO celebrates the World Hand Hygiene Day, in the context of the WHO “SAVE LIVES: Clean Your Hands” campaign . The aim of this global campaign is to bring people together in support of hand hygiene in health care improvement and thus, impact positively on the quality of care and patient safety across all levels of the health system. Hand hygiene is pivotal on maintaining clean and safe provision of care. The slogan for World Hand Hygiene Day 2023, “ Accelerate action together ”, is focused on the idea that together, we can accelerate action to prevent infections and antimicrobial resistance in health care and build a culture of safety and quality in which hand hygiene improvement is given a high priority. This year WHO is calling on Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) and other partners to engage with the campaign and accelerate progress towards ...

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) , including 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...