Wash, wash, wash your hands. It's a rudimentary lesson you have been taught since grade school.
However, it's easy to overlook the importance of proper hand hygiene. This year, on May 5th, the world will celebrate World Hand Hygiene Day. This global healthcare event is a chance to spread awareness about the necessity of good hand hygiene in healthcare settings and everyday life.
It's time to go back to the basics of cleanliness and learn how sticking to hand hygiene standards can help prevent the spread of disease and lead to healthier communities. Continue reading to learn more about the background and importance of this day and activities you can participate in to celebrate and spread awareness on World Hand Hygiene Day.
History of World Hand Hygiene Day
The World Health Organization (WHO) established World Hand Hygiene Day, also referred to simply as World Hygiene Day, in 2009. This initiative aims to promote awareness of the importance of handwashing and breaking the chain of infection in healthcare settings.
The fifth day of the fifth month is officially World Hand Hygiene Day, representing the five fingers on a hand. Every year on May 5th, events worldwide are organized to spread the word about proper hand health and how the simple act of handwashing can help stop the transmission of harmful bacteria and viruses.
Hand Hygiene and Hand Washing Facts
Hand hygiene saves millions of lives each year. Still, researchers estimate that 1 million deaths could be avoided if everyone washed their hands regularly. Moreover, appropriate hand hygiene and hand washing are some of the best ways to help prevent hospital-acquired infections (HAIs), also known as healthcare-associated infections.
Here are some other important hand hygiene and hand washing facts according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC):
- In 2020, 70 percent of the global population used essential hygiene services.
- As of 2020, basic hygiene services (handwashing facilities with soap and water) were unavailable to 2.3 billion people. In addition, 1.6 billion people had access to basic hygiene facilities but lacked water and/or soap.
- Hand washing can lower the general population's risk of respiratory diseases, such as colds, by 16–21 percent. Also, washing hands with soap and water could decrease diarrheal disease deaths by up to 50 percent.
Why Is Handwashing Important in Healthcare Settings?
Handwashing preventative care started in the 19th century when notable figures like Ignaz Semmelweis noted how hand hygiene appeared to prevent the spread of disease in healthcare settings. In the years since then, hand washing has proven time and again to be essential in preventing infectious diseases from spreading.
Hand hygiene decreases the proliferation of microorganisms, thus reducing the risk of infection and the length of time patients stay in healthcare facilities. Hand washing is now considered vital in healthcare settings as one of the most effective ways to prevent the spread of infections and maintain a safe and healthy setting for patients and healthcare professionals.
Here are some more hand hygiene facts critical for healthcare settings and patient safety, according to the World Health Organization:
- Appropriate hand hygiene can prevent up to 50 percent of avoidable infections obtained during healthcare delivery, including those affecting health workers.
- As a result of the WHO's multimodal hand hygiene improvement strategy, healthcare-associated infections, antimicrobial resistance, and essential hand hygiene indicators have all improved.
- Investing in hand hygiene pays off. Implementing hand hygiene policies can result in financial savings that are, on average, 16 times greater than the cost of implementing such policies.
How Can Facilities Recognize World Hand Hygiene Day?
Healthcare facilities can promote hand hygiene by providing healthcare workers with training and educational resources on hand hygiene and infection prevention control (IPC). These educational modules may include reminding team members how many hospital-acquired infections can be reduced by hand washing. In addition, facilities may want to make learning about handwashing entertaining by hosting educational games and fun activities that promote proper handwashing practices. Trivia, handing out soap to employees, or gifting handwashing awareness baskets are some of the many fun activities facilities could plan.
Spread Health, Not Germs
The CDC recommends that a person scrub their hands for 20 seconds with soap and water to ensure thorough and proper hand washing. Alongside handwashing, people can protect themselves and others from disease by adopting other good hygiene practices, such as using hand sanitizer before and after interacting with patients.
World Hygiene Day reminds everyone, not just healthcare workers, to learn about, remember, and celebrate the importance of hand hygiene. This World Hygiene Day is a reminder to spread health, not germs, and prioritize hygiene.
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Sources:
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: Keeping Hands Clean
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: Hygiene Fast Facts
- World Health Organization: World Hand Hygiene Day 2024
- ScienceDirect: Hand hygiene compliance in the prevention of hospital-acquired infections: a systematic review
- National Library of Medicine: Hand Hygiene
