World Hand Hygiene Day 2021

ISS, 5 May 2021 – Every year, the 5th of May marks the day dedicated to the importance of hand hygiene in the prevention of infections. For the 2021 edition, the World Health Organization calls on healthcare workers and the facilities in which they work to practice an effective hand hygiene at the patient’s hospital bed or at the point of care. In particular, hand hygiene should be performed at the right time (before having contact with the patient, before carrying out an aseptic technique, after contact with body fluids, after contact with objects in the immediate vicinity of the patient), as effectively as possible, at the patient’s hospital bed or at the point of care.

The slogan of the Day 2021 is: Seconds save lives – clean your hands!

To view when and how to wash your hands, download the infographics produced by the Istituto Superiore di Sanità – ISS (Italian National Institute of Health) to celebrate the Day 2020:

• “Quando si devono lavare le mani” When to wash your Hands (PDF 2.9 Mb)

• “Come si lavano le mani” How to wash your hands (PDF 3.2 Mb).

The Day envisages the involvement of different professional categories and the general population, so that everybody can feel to be an active part of the process.

The call to action is targeted on:

• Healthcare workers: Now more than ever – clean your hands at the point of care!  

• Healthcare workers engaged in infection prevention and control: Be a champion and mentor for clean hands at the point of care

• Health centre managers: Ensure hand hygiene supplies are available at every point of care

• Policymakers: Invest now to ensure hand hygiene for all

• Patients and family members: Help us to help you: please clean your hands

• Vaccinators: Clean your hands with every vaccine

• General population: Make clean hands your habit - it protects us all!

Hand hygiene and COVID-19

Hand hygiene is one of the most effective actions to reduce the spread of pathogens and prevent infections, including the SARS-CoV-2 virus that causes COVID-19. In particular, it is possible to reduce the risk of infection – protecting oneself and others – by following simple instructions that include cleaning or sanitizing your hands often, especially after coughing/sneezing; after treating a patient; before, during, and after preparing food; before eating; after going to the bathroom; after touching animals or their droppings or, more generally, when your hands are dirty for whatever reason, or before entering public places (for example, entering a shop) after touching objects or surfaces exposed to being touched by many people (such as, for example, merchandise on display or inside public transport).

Translation of the text above::

CARE, PREVENT, SAVE

WASH YOUR HANDS, AT HOME AND OUTSIDE

With water and soap, for at least 40-60 second

With an alcohol-based product for at least 20 seconds

Also when they are not visibly dirty

5 MAY World Hand Hygiene Day