Insights & Resources for World Hand Hygiene Day

May 5, 2025

World Hand Hygiene Day is celebrated every May 5th to promote the impact of infection prevention in patient safety. This observance is part of the World Health Organization’s (WHO) global “SAVE LIVES: Clean Your Hands” campaign.

Infection prevention and control (IPC) is fundamental to safe and effective health care systems, including proper hand hygiene. This practice is relevant to all health workers, patients, and their families at every health care encounter.

The Facts: As of 2025, the WHO has shared the following data on health care-associated infections (HAIs):

  • HAIs, including surgical site infections (SSIs) and device (line) associated infections, occur worldwide, affecting hundreds of millions of patients annually. The rate of transmission in the health care setting has led to increases in avoidable infections, which can lead to death if not treated.
  • Approximately 70% of health care workers do not routinely practice hand hygiene, with health workers reporting misunderstandings about the relevance and importance of hand hygiene in everyday clinical practice.
  • Evidence suggests that as little as 50% of surgical teams comply with hand hygiene best practice throughout a surgical patient’s hospital stay.
  • SSIs are the most frequent type of infection in low-and middle- income countries, with a pooled incidence of 11.8%, compared to 1.2 – 5.2% in developed countries.

Take Action: Promoting Optimal Hand Hygiene Practices

Hand hygiene is one of the most effective ways to prevent the spread of infections. Not only does proper hand hygiene reduce the risk of health care-associated infections (HAIs), but it also plays a crucial role in fighting antimicrobial resistance. The following tips from the WHO can be followed by health care professionals:

  • Follow evidence-based guidelines for hand hygiene.
  • Improve the prevention of infections in all health care settings throughout the patient’s care journey by understanding and applying the WHO’s ‘My 5 Moments for Hand Hygiene’. These are critical life-saving actions for every day of the year.
  • Improve IPC by championing hand hygiene best practices and educating all health workers on the importance of clean hands.

Resources for Hand Hygiene and IPC Success

Access the following resources to promote hand hygiene best practices and proper infection prevention and control strategies with your team.

WHO Resources:

Pathway Health Resources:

For additional resources or questions about Infection Prevention support, our Pathway Health experts are ready to help. Click here to contact us.

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