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WHO Guidelines on Hand Hygiene in Health Care: a Summary First Global Patient Safety Challenge Clean Care is Safer Care

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WHO Guidelines on Hand Hygiene in Health Care: a Summary
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WHO Guidelines on Hand Hygiene in Health Care: a Summary First Global PatientSafety Challenge Clean Care is Safer Care

WHO PATIENT SAFETY

WHO Guidelines on Hand Hygiene in Health Care: a Summary Foreword
Health care-associated infections affect hundreds of millions of patients worldwide every year. Infections lead to more serious illness, prolong hospital stays, induce long-term disabilities, add high costs to patients and their families, contribute to a massive,additional financial burden on the health-care system and, critically, often result in tragic loss of life.
By their very nature, infections are caused by many different factors related to systems and processes of care provision as well as to human behaviour that is conditioned by education, political and economic constraints on systems and countries, and often on societal norms and beliefs. Mostinfections, however, are preventable. Hand hygiene is the primary measure to reduce infections. A simple action, perhaps, but the lack of compliance among health-care providers is problematic worldwide. On the basis of research into the aspects influencing hand hygiene compliance and best promotional strategies, new approaches have proven effective. A range of strategies for hand hygiene promotionand improvement have been proposed, and the WHO First Global Patient Safety Challenge, “Clean Care is Safer Care”, is focusing part of its attention on improving hand hygiene standards and practices in health care along with implementing successful interventions. New global Guidelines on Hand Hygiene in Health Care, developed with assistance from more than 100 renowned international experts, havebeen tested and given trials in different parts of the world and were launched in 2009. Testing sites ranged from modern, high-technology hospitals in developed countries to remote dispensaries in poor-resource villages. Encouraging hospitals and health-care facilities to adopt these Guidelines, including the “My 5 Moments for Hand Hygiene” approach, will contribute to a greater awareness and...