‘Save Lives: Clean Your Hands’ is the theme of this year’s Global Hand Hygiene Day 2020. Clean health care is among the most urgent challenges identified by the United Nations to be tackled in the next 10 years by the global community. Therefore, maintaining quality hand hygiene practices as part of a clean care system is critical, especially now when the world is experiencing an unprecedented pandemic.
We are used to keeping our hands clean and washing them regularly, such as before a meal and after eating and using the washroom. Yet, the coronavirus pandemic has led us back to the basics, reminding us of the correct way to wash our hands. Washing hands have become more critical than ever in infection prevention and control.
To remind everyone of the appropriate way to wash your hands, you can download our free hand washing guide below.
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According to the NHS, you should wash your hands:
- after using the toilet or changing a nappy
- before and after handling raw foods like meat and vegetables
- before eating or handling food
- after blowing your nose, sneezing or coughing
- before and after treating a cut or wound
- after touching animals, including pets, their food and after cleaning their cages
Having quality hand hygiene practices should be continued after the Pandemic. Today is about encouraging a behavioural change in hand hygiene in the long run and empowering all the care providers for their monumental work that they do to keep our patients, families, and their colleagues safe by preventing healthcare-associated infections.