Hand Hygiene Key To Safe Healthcare, Says WHO South-East Asia Director

Saima Wazed, Regional Director for WHO South-East Asia, said on Sunday that hand hygiene is not a luxury but the cornerstone of safe healthcare. She emphasised its relevance to all health workers, patients, and families at every healthcare encounter.

Wazed stated that hand hygiene supports quality universal health coverage and helps achieve Sustainable Development Goal 3.8. It also plays a major role in advancing the water, sanitation, hygiene and health (WASH) agenda. She highlighted that it is crucial in the fight against antimicrobial resistance as the world prepares to observe World Hand Hygiene Day on 5 May.

“Infection prevention and control (IPC), which includes hand hygiene, is fundamental to safe and effective healthcare systems,” she said. WHO has helped countries draft evidence-based IPC guidelines. It also created the WHO Core Components of IPC, a framework guiding national programmes, healthcare facilities, and training to ensure proper infection control.

Wazed noted that WHO has also developed a Global IPC Strategy, Action Plan, and Monitoring Framework. These tools aim to help Member States advance IPC effectively.

World Hand Hygiene Day 2025 comes at a time when countries must begin implementing the Global Action Plan and Monitoring Framework on IPC, 2024–2030. This push is supported by an implementation guide and the findings of the Global Report on IPC 2024.

The report shows that most South-East Asia countries have active IPC programmes. Many use national guidelines that meet national or WHO standards.

“Most IPC focal points in our region have dedicated time for their tasks. Six countries have a set, protected budget for IPC programmes based on planned activity,” Wazed added.

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