World Hand Hygiene Day is celebrated on May 5th each year since its launch in 2009. The aim of this campaign is to get people globally to improve hand hygiene in particular in health care facilities in order to protect health care workers and patients from infections. It can also promote the knowledge of infection prevention and control in everyday life, in order to protect you and your loved ones from illness.
Washing hands can keep you healthy and prevent the spread of respiratory and diarrhoeal infections. Germs can spread from person to person or from surfaces to people when you:
Touch your eyes, nose, and mouth with unwashed hands.
Prepare or eat food and drinks with unwashed hands
Touch surfaces or objects that have germs on them
Blow your nose, cough, or sneeze into hands and then touch other people’s hands or common objects
Key times to wash hands are:
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
Washing hands is easy and if done the right way is the most effective way to prevent the spread of germs!
WET hands with clean water and apply soap
LATHER hands by rubbing palms, fingers and back of hands together
SCRUB hands for at least 20 seconds
RINSE hands under clean water
DRY hands with air dryer or towel
SAVE LIVES: Clean Your Hands!
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