Each year, approximately 4.3 million patients in European hospitals contract at least one healthcare-associated infection during their hospital stay. This significant number highlights the importance of promoting proper hand hygiene practices in healthcare settings.
The “Save Lives: Clean Your Hands” campaign is part of a global initiative led by the World Health Organization (WHO) to encourage people worldwide to adhere to hand hygiene protocols in healthcare facilities. By promoting hand hygiene, healthcare workers and patients can protect themselves from healthcare-associated infections caused by various pathogens.
Healthcare-associated infections, some of which are resistant to antibiotics, pose a growing public health concern in Europe. However, a significant portion of these infections can be prevented by implementing better hand hygiene practices. This emphasizes the importance of promoting proper hand hygiene to reduce the spread of infections in healthcare settings.
The European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) supports the “Save Lives: Clean Your Hands” campaign and emphasizes the significance of infection prevention and control measures, particularly hand hygiene, in combating the increasing threat of antibiotic resistance. By encouraging the practice of proper hand hygiene, healthcare facilities can work towards reducing the risk of healthcare-associated infections and preventing the spread of antibiotic-resistant pathogens.