Since 2005, May 5th has been designated by the World Health Organization (WHO) as a day dedicated to Hand Hygiene. Always with the aim of safeguarding the health and safety of all patients, the Ministry of Health of Cyprus is intensifying its efforts to raise awareness among both Health Professionals and the general public on the importance of hand hygiene, in accordance with the WHO guidelines.
Infections in Health Care Settings pose a risk to patient safety, as they have been shown to be associated with prolonged inpatient hospitalisation, increased mortality and morbidity, physical and emotional suffering of patients, increased bacterial resistance to antibiotics and high economic costs. Since the main mode of transmission of infections is through the hands, proper hand hygiene helps to reduce the transmission of pathogens and has been identified as the most important measure to prevent the transmission of nosocomial infections (Lee et al 2013; Berlin et al 2013). Proper hand hygiene is also a key element in the prevention of COVID-19, as transmission also occurs through contact, touching infected persons and/or contaminated objects or surfaces.
This year's theme for World Hand Hygiene Day, 5 May 2022, focuses on the recognition that through the practice of hand hygiene we contribute to both change and the adoption of a culture of safety. Specifically, hand hygiene can directly impact a healthcare facility and ensure a climate of safety and quality health care. Moreover, it will encourage individuals to practice hand hygiene correctly, according to the indications and actions proposed by the WHO ("My five Moments For Hand Hygiene") with the appropriate products.
With the ultimate aim of improving the quality of the services provided and offering safer care to each citizen, each Health Professional should be actively involved in the strategy of implementing hand hygiene, with the aim of creating the necessary work culture.
In addition, patients, their visitors and all citizens should be encouraged to practice hand hygiene as often as they can, especially when touching objects or surfaces, before eating, after using public areas, toilets, etc. and to ask medical and nursing staff to wash their hands before touching them.
Promoting hand hygiene is a challenge that requires an organised strategy to become a consciousness for every health professional and for every individual. In this context, the Ministry of Health, in collaboration with other agencies, has planned a number of activities including educational lectures and distribution of information materials to strengthen the hand hygiene promotion campaign.
(AF)
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