“Thanks for reminding me”- The cultural change in hand hygiene
In a stressful working day, healthcare professionals might forget to clean their hands every time it is necessary.... read more
Every year more than 30 million patients worldwide suffer from healthcare-associated sepsis. To prevent avoidable infections and improve patients’ safety, every year on the 5th of May, the World Health Organization calls upon healthcare facilities to sign up for its campaign SAVE LIVES: Clean Your Hands. This campaign encourages healthcare professionals to take concrete actions and use hand hygiene best practices. Three useful facts.
The date 5th May symbolises the five fingers on each hand. The WHO started the campaign in 2009. The goal: Bring people from all over the world together and support hand hygiene improvement.
With an estimated six million deaths per year, sepsis represents a global public health problem. As hand hygiene is the key to a better infection prevention, it is critical for dramatically reducing the incidence of sepsis and saving lives.
Use three instead of six! The German campaign “Aktion saubere Hände” clearly recommends following an easier three-step procedure for hand disinfection: