World Hand Hygiene Day 5 May 2024 - Sharing your knowledge about hand hygiene
Each year on 5 May the WHO SAVE LIVES Clean Your Hands campaign aims to bring people together and accelerate hand hygiene action at the point of care in health care to contribute to a reduction in health care associated infections and the achievement of safer, quality health care for all.
The theme for 2024 is:
"Promoting knowledge and capacity building of health and care workers through innovative and impactful training and education, on infection prevention and control, including hand hygiene."
Sharing knowledge about hand hygiene and infection prevention and control is still so important because it is ultimately a very effective way to stop the spread of harmful germs in healthcare.
World Hand Hygiene Day 2024 video
Call to action
Everyone can get involved in hand hygiene. Target audience campaign posters are available that answer the question 'Why is sharing knowledge about hand hygiene still so important?'
- General public - Because hand hygiene helps save lives - yours, a loved one's or those most vulnerable in society.
- Infection prevention and control practitioners - Because understanding when and how to perform hand hygiene motivates action.
- Healthcare workers - Because hand hygiene is a very effective way to keep people safe from infection.
- Policy makers - Because hand hygiene is a very cost-effective way to achieve your public health targets.
Use the World Hand Hygiene Day 2024 promotional materials for your local campaign. These include:
- posters and poster maker
- campaign web banner
- WHO IPC newsletter text
- WHO advocacy PPT
- WHO template social media messages
- Commentary from Journal of Hospital Infection
ARHAI Scotland and NHS Education for Scotland (NES) have education and training resources which can also be used as part of your local campaign.
WHO Infection Prevention and Control Global Webinar Series
Join one of these free webinars and find out more about the importance of hand hygiene and the 5 moments.
- 16 April 2024 - Warming up for World Hand Hygiene Day 2024
- 23 April 2024 - Special webinar on “My 5 Moments: The Game” – Revolutionizing Hand Hygiene Education
- 6 May 2024 - World Hand Hygiene Day 2024 - why is sharing knowledge about hand hygiene still so important?
NSS ARHAI resources
Read Chapter 1 of the NIPCM and find out how, when and what product to use for hand hygiene.
Use the step-by-step hand technique posters to make sure hand hygiene is performed correctly.
- Appendix 1 - How to hand wash (step by step images)
- Appendix 2 - How to hand rub (step by step images)
Health and care workers should follow the moments of hand hygiene to stop infection spreading when providing care.
Use the hand hygiene literature reviews to learn more about the evidence that informs hand hygiene recommendations in the NIPCM.
NHS Education for Scotland (NES) resources
The Scottish Infection Prevention and Control Education Pathway (SIPCEP) foundation layer covers the 10 standard infection control precautions and other introductory infection control topics. These include: