World Hand Hygiene Day - May 5 2022

Never before has hand hygiene been more important, nor has awareness and compliance amongst us all been so high.

Throughout the past two years of being on high alert to micro-organisms and viral contagions, the simple act of washing our hands has been one of the main lines of defence against Covid-19.

World Hand Hygiene Day 2022 provided another opportunity for us all to talk about the importance of correct hand washing and also to celebrate the obvious success we have had in containing Covid-19 and other bacterial and viral illnesses.

By creating a culture that values hand hygiene and infection prevention and control (IPC), both patients and our staff feel protected and cared for. 

To prioritize clean hands in health facilities, people at all levels need to believe in the importance of hand hygiene and IPC to save lives, by acting as key players in achieving the appropriate behaviours and attitudes towards it. In other words, health workers at all levels and people accessing health care facilities need to unite to ensure we are all washing our hands appropriately.

This year's theme for World Hand Hygiene Day, 5 May 2022, is focused on recognizing that we can add to a facility's climate or culture of safety and quality through cleaning our hands but also that a strong quality and safety culture will encourage people to clean hands at the right times and with the right products.

The mantra of “unite, talk and work together on hand hygiene for high quality safer care everywhere” is a strong message that we will continue to get behind at Canopy. 

And if you’re not sure if you are washing your hands correctly, sing Happy Birthday to yourself as you soap, rub and rinse. 

For more information, check out these handwashing tips.