World Heath Organization or WHO is calling on all countries in the Eastern Mediterranean to improve and promote best hand hygiene practices during the delivery of health care services.
The call is marking the occasion of World Hand Hygiene Day on May 5 under the theme “SAVE LIVES: Clean Your Hands”.The campaign aims to reduce the spread of life-threatening infections through improving hand hygiene practices in health care settings.
WHO is encouraging patients to insist on their right to safe health care, of which hand hygiene is a basic component.
The organization explained that health care managers have a responsibility to facilitate hand hygiene through ensuring soap, running water and alcohol-based hand rub, and continuous training of staff, regular monitoring of hand hygiene practices and patient satisfaction.
WHO will be working with ministries of health to encourage public and private health care facilities to register and become part of the global initiative.