On World Hand Hygiene Day 2021, which falls on 5 May, the Faculty of Health Sciences urges all of the University of Malta community to practise hand hygiene and to help sustain the promotion of this basic but critical action.
Seconds save lives - clean your hands! is the slogan being used by the World Health Organisation, urging for appropriate hand hygiene from all key players.
Healthcare acquired infections account for 9 million cases recorded every year in Europe alone, it says.
WHO's latest global survey on the implementation of national infection prevention and control programmes was conducted by Dr Ermira Tartari Bonnici, Lecturer at the Department of Nursing, Faculty of Health Sciences and other colleagues.
Effective hand hygiene is vital in preventing infections acquired in healthcare, the spread of antimicrobial resistance and other emerging health threats including COVID-19
WHO has also declared 2021 the “Year of the Health and Care Worker”. In order to protect these vital workers, evidence has shown that appropriate hand hygiene practices reduce infections during care delivery. So, engaging different health professionals, as well as patients and everyone in the society in the World Hand Hygiene Day 2021 is critical also to supporting the “Year of Health and Care Workers”.
More information about the campaign is available online and this recent publication.