Global Hand Hygiene Day is celebrated every year, raising awareness of the importance of clean hands to reduce the spread of pathogens and prevent unneccessary infections. This year, the importance of hand hygiene has been highlighted more than ever given the current situation regarding the spread of coronavirus. Hand hygiene has been identified as a key step in preventative measures to reduce the spread of the disease and it’s down to each and every one of us to play our part.
The theme for this years Hand Hygiene Day is “SAVE LIVES: Clean your hands”. Aligning with 2020 being designated as the “Year of the Nurse and the Midwife” by the World Health Assembly to celebrate heroes working on the front-line to keep us safe.
This year, the Hand Hygiene Day campaign is aiming to (source: WHO, Hand Hygiene Day):
- Make hand hygiene a global priority
- Inspire hand hygiene and behavior change
- Engage with health care workers in their role in clean care and the prevention of infections
Remember, washing your hands is essential to stop the spread of bacteria and viruses, helping to protect yourself and others around you.
Wash your hands before leaving or returning home for 20 seconds. In areas where hand wash facilities are unavailable, use sanitisier to clean your hands. To make sure your hands are cleaned correctly, follow the relevant WHO guide below:
Why not take part in the #SafeHands challenge and post a video of yourself following the above guidance on your social media!