Each year the World Health Organization (WHO) SAVE LIVES: Clean Your Hands 5 May campaign aims to maintain a global profile on the importance of hand hygiene in health care and to bring people together in support of hand hygiene improvement worldwide. Therefore, in response to this campaign, the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) is extending an invitation across the Region of the Americas, especially to whom the campaign is particularly addressed this year: to civil society organizations as well as other partners, such as the health and care workers, Infection Prevention and Control Teams, and Policymakers.
The invitation is to engage in the campaign and keep in mind the theme for World Hand Hygiene Day 2023: “Together, we can accelerate action to prevent infections and antimicrobial resistance in health care and build a culture of safety and quality in which hand hygiene improvement is given high priority.”
Hand hygiene saves millions of lives every year when performed at the right time and in the right way during health care delivery, while improving hand hygiene in health care settings saves approximately US$ 16.5 in health care expenditure for every US dollar invested.
Did you know?
Healthcare-Associated Infections (HAIs) are among the most frequent adverse events occurring in health service delivery. These infections, many of which are caused by multidrug-resistant organisms, harm patients, visitors and health workers and place a significant burden on health systems. In Europe alone, some 9 million HAIs occur every year in acute and long-term care facilities; they lead to 25 million extra-hospital days and cost 13-24 billion euros.
WHO believes that no one receiving or providing health care should be exposed to the risk of being harmed by a preventable infection. Hand hygiene and cleanliness provide dignity and are a sign of respect to those who are seeking care and facilitate the work of those delivering it.
Preventing an infection and its spread can have huge benefits in reducing human suffering and loss of lives.
Communication Resources
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Other languages
Videos
World Hand Hygiene Day 2023: Accelerate action together
Hand Hygiene within Emergency Medical Teams (EMTs) | Version française
Event
Roundtable: Accelerate Action Together
Save Lives - Clean your hands
Date: Thursday, 4 May 2023 - 11:00 a.m. (Washington, D.C. time)
Spanish, French, and Portuguese interpretations available.
Success Story
Running water for quality health care in Honduras
May 2023
Related links
- PAHO Health topic: Primary Health Care
- PAHO Health topic: Health Services
- PAHO Health topic: Infection Prevention and Control
- PAHO Health topic: Antimicrobial Resistance
- PAHO Health topic: Sepsis
- WHO Campaign: World Hand Hygiene Day 2023