New Delhi, May 4 On World Hand Hygiene Day, observed annually on May 5, Saima Wazed, the Regional Director for the World Health Organisation (WHO) South-East Asia, emphasised that hand hygiene is not a luxury but a vital element of safe healthcare.
This important day, which started with WHO's Global Patient Safety Challenge in 2005, aims to promote the practice of hand hygiene, particularly in healthcare settings, to reduce infections associated with medical care.
“Hand hygiene plays a crucial role in ensuring the safety of health workers, patients, and their families during every healthcare encounter,” Wazed said.
According to Wazed, it contributes directly to achieving universal health coverage and supports the global water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) agenda.
“Additionally, it is a key measure in the fight against antimicrobial resistance, which is a growing global health threat,” she mentioned.
“The infection prevention and control (IPC), which includes hand hygiene, is the foundation of safe and effective healthcare systems,” Wazed stressed.
To assist countries in improving IPC, WHO has provided evidence-based guidelines and a structured framework called the WHO Core Components of IPC.
This helps healthcare systems develop their national programmes, enhance infection control, and train healthcare workers.
WHO has also developed a Global IPC Strategy, Action Plan, and Monitoring Framework to help countries effectively implement these standards.
This year’s World Hand Hygiene Day theme, ‘It might be gloves. It's always hand hygiene,’ serves as a reminder that disposable medical gloves can also become contaminated, and hand hygiene remains essential even when gloves are used.
Wazed highlighted the importance of this message, noting that clean hands are crucial to preventing the spread of infections, whether or not gloves are worn.
The Regional Director also referred to the latest Global Report on Infection Prevention and Control, which shows significant progress in many countries in the South-East Asia region.
Most countries now have active national IPC programmes, with several supported by national guidelines that comply with WHO’s core component standards.
Many countries have also allocated dedicated budgets to IPC programmes, ensuring the continued success of these essential initiatives.
Wazed urged health professionals, healthcare managers, and all people involved in the care process to embrace the message of World Hand Hygiene Day and spread the word that clean hands save lives.
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