World Hand Hygiene Day 2020: The importance of hand hygiene amid Covid-19

Hand hygiene Day is celebrated every year on May 5 to recognise the role of clean and safe hands play in warding off many serious infections. Although we have always been advised to wash our hands and maintain hygiene since our childhood,it has assumed more significance amid the covid-19 pandemic

This year, the campaign theme  is “SAVE LIVES: Clean your hands”  which is in alignment with the Year of the Nurse and the Midwife, and aims to highlight their critical roles in infection prevention.

As part of the 2020 campaign, WHO aims to

1.Make hand hygiene a global priority

2.Inspire hand hygiene and behavior change

3.Engage with health care workers in their role in clean care and the prevention of infections.

According to WHO, the campaign also acts as a call to action to policy-makers to provide a clean and safe work environment for nurses and also to improve staffing levels. It also a call to leaders to empowers nurses and midwives in providing clean care to prevent infection.