Comment EDITOR’S COMMENTwith LOUISE FRAMPTON THE CLINICAL SERVICES JOURNAL Editor
Louise Frampton
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Raising awareness on World Hand Hygiene Day 2026
Approximately 70% of healthcare workers and 50% of surgical teams do not routinely practice hand hygiene. Studies have shown that practising routine hand hygiene achieves a reduction in healthcare-associated infections (HCAIs). (Source: WHO) At the time of writing this column, the UK’s media reported that a young student
undergoing cancer treatment at a hospital in the North of England had succumbed to sepsis, most likely caught due to inadequate hand hygiene. The coroner determined that Joshua died from multiple organ failure following a bacterial infection, which was found to have been contracted through cross-contamination from another patient on the ward. The coroner’s report stated that poor adherence to appropriate hand hygiene and control measures, including aseptic non-touch technique (ANTT), was “highly likely” to have been the cause of the infection entering Joshua’s bloodstream, via a PICC line. Joshua Abbott-Littler was just 20 years old. Coroner Andrew Bridgman heard how Josh was an “intelligent” and “very talented” young man, who loved music, attending gigs and festivals. As this tragic case reminds us, the impact of failures to observe proper hand hygiene can be
devastating. However, hand hygiene not only save lives – it also saves money. The WHO points out that every US$ 1 invested in hand hygiene can yield up to US$ 24.6 in economic returns (Rice et al, 2023). IPC action, including hand hygiene, is critical now more than ever. Each year, WHO leads a global campaign, on 5 May, working closely with key stakeholders to support improvements in IPC around the world. The SAVE LIVES: Clean Your Hands campaign aims to progress the goal of maintaining a global profile on the importance of hand hygiene and infection prevention and control in healthcare and to ‘bring people together’ in support of improvement globally. Dr. Edward Kelley, Director, Service Delivery and Safety, WHO, comments: “Healthcare-
associated infection is such a big problem, we need to focus the world on something that is truly actionable and can save many, many lives. This action is hand hygiene, a flagship element of WHO’s patient safety work.” The theme of this year’s campaign is: “Action Saves Lives”. The aim is to:
ISSN No. 1478-5641
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l Promote optimal hand hygiene practices (using the appropriate technique and according to the WHO 5 Moments) within the healthcare workflow.
l Promote inclusion of hand hygiene within national IPC action plans, as well as standard operating procedures (SOPs) at facility level, according to the recommendations of the WHO Global action plan and monitoring framework indicators and targets to be achieved incrementally by 2030.
l Raise awareness that one of the WHO global action plan and monitoring framework indicators on IPC is hand hygiene compliance monitoring and feedback, to be established as a key national indicator, at the very least in all reference hospitals by 2026.
l Encourage countries to act to improve IPC, including hand hygiene, as outlined by WHO.
How can you get involved? Participation in World Hand Hygiene Day can take many forms, from simple handwashing demonstrations to large-scale educational campaigns. WHO develops new products and resources every year that can be used within healthcare settings to support local action. This toolkit is aimed at all healthcare workers who plan to undertake hand hygiene campaign activities on or around 5 May. It provides a framework for advocacy, as well as guidance on how to develop campaign materials at the local level. Download the toolkit at:
https://www.who.int/publications/m/item/annual-5-may- advocacy-toolkit
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