WHO EMRO | World Hand Hygiene Day 2025: Focus on Gloves
6 May 2025, Cairo, Egypt โ This yearโs World Hand Hygiene Day (WHHD) emphasizes the vital importance of hand hygiene in preventing infections. With the theme “It might be gloves. It’s always hand hygiene,” the campaign highlights the need for proper handwashing practices and appropriate glove use. The World Health Organization (WHO) stresses that improving hand hygiene can significantly reduce healthcare-associated infections (HAIs) and calls for increased investment in hygiene services, especially in regions lacking basic facilities.
Significance of Hand Hygiene
World Hand Hygiene Day, observed annually on May 5, serves as a reminder of the critical role hand hygiene plays in healthcare settings. It is a straightforward yet effective intervention that protects patients, healthcare workers, and visitors from infections that can be avoided. The WHO’s Global Action Plan and Monitoring Framework (GAPMF) for Infection Prevention and Control (IPC) from 2024 to 2030 identifies hand hygiene compliance as a key national indicator. However, only 68% of countries currently report implementing these measures, indicating a significant gap in global health standards.
In the Eastern Mediterranean Region, the situation is particularly concerning, with around 40% of healthcare facilities lacking basic hygiene services. Furthermore, 71% of these facilities do not have comprehensive waste management services. These statistics highlight the urgent need for investment in water, sanitation, hygiene, and waste management (WASH) services to enhance infection prevention and control efforts.
WHO Recommendations for Improved Practices
The WHO promotes several recommendations to enhance hand hygiene practices this year. One of the key messages is the importance of adhering to the WHO’s “5 Moments for Hand Hygiene” and ensuring appropriate glove use within healthcare workflows. It is crucial to remember that medical gloves can become contaminated just like bare hands and do not provide complete protection. Gloves should be removed after patient contact, followed by immediate hand hygiene.
Additionally, the WHO encourages the integration of hand hygiene into national IPC strategies and the establishment of standard operating procedures at healthcare facilities. Raising awareness about the environmental impact of improper glove use is also essential, as excessive glove usage contributes significantly to healthcare waste. Proper glove use, combined with effective hand hygiene, can help mitigate this issue.
Urgent Need for Improved Infection Control
The need for improved infection prevention and control measures, including hand hygiene and WASH services, is urgent. These improvements are essential for providing minimum protection against healthcare-associated infections and addressing the growing threat of antimicrobial resistance. Governments and health authorities are urged to prioritize the integration of hand hygiene into national IPC strategies and ensure that all healthcare facilities have established standard operating procedures for hand hygiene.
On World Hand Hygiene Day, the WHO provides various resources, including guidelines, posters, and virtual badges, to support hand hygiene campaigns. The organization also offers a Hand Hygiene Self-Assessment Framework to help healthcare facilities evaluate their hand hygiene practices. By collaborating with stakeholders and partners, the WHO aims to prevent the spread of infections, particularly those caused by antimicrobial-resistant pathogens.
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