Hand hygiene is important to prevent the transmission of microorganisms between hands and surfaces. Proper handwashing significantly reduces the bacterial flora on skin and protects oneself and others. Hands should be washed before and after preparing food, eating, caring for someone sick, treating wounds, using the toilet, changing diapers, and after household chores. Jewelry and long or chipped nails can harbor more bacteria. Global Handwashing Day is celebrated annually on October 15th to promote the simple act of handwashing with soap which can reduce disease rates and save lives worldwide.

1. Hand Hygiene
clean well so, you can eat well

2. Why Is Hand Hygiene
Important ?
• Hands are the most common
mode of microorganism/bacterial
transmission
• Hand washing is an
extremely important step in
overall infection control
• Hand washing significantly
removes the bacterial flora
on the skin
• Hand washing protects you
and your patient from the
bacterial flora (from each
other) from becoming skin
residents

3. When to Wash
• Before, during, and after preparing
food
• Before eating food
• Before and after caring for someone
who is sick
• Before and after treating a cut or
wound
• After using the toilet
• After changing diapers or cleaning up
a child who has used the toilet

4. Rings and Jewelry
• Hand jewelry should not be
worn during house-hold work
as it may harbor bacteria
− Studies in CDC have demonstrated that
skin underneath rings is more heavily
colonized than comparable areas of skin
on fingers without rings.
− the more rings worn, the greater
concentration of organisms.

5. Finger nails
Can also harbor bacteria
• Keep fingernails SHORT!
1. Avoid artificial nails
2. Avoid chipped nail polish

6. Hand Hygiene: Frequently
missed areas

8. Right way to wash your hands
• Wet your hands with
clean, running water
(warm or cold) and apply
soap.
• Rub your hands together
to make a lather and scrub
them well; be sure to scrub
the backs of your hands,
between your fingers, and
under your nails.

9. • Continue rubbing your
hands for at least 20
seconds. Need a timer?
Hum the "Happy Birthday"
song from beginning to end
twice.
• Rinse your hands well
under running water.
• Dry your hands using a
clean towel or air dry them.

11. Global Hand washing Day
• Celebrated every
year on October 15th.
•
• Global Handwashing
Day was originally
created for children
and schools, but can
be celebrated by
anyone promoting
handwashing with
soap.

12. Why Celebrate Handwashing?
• 6.9 million children under 5 die each year. Two of
the top three causes are pneumonia and
diarrhea1.
• Handwashing with soap can cut pneumonia by up
to 45% and diarrhea rates by up to 50%2.
• Handwashing is an accessible, cost-effective
method for preventing diarrheal3 and other
diseases.
1. Levels & Trends in Child Mortality – Report 2012. UN Inter-agency Group
for Child Mortality Estimation; 2012.
2. Fewtrell et al. The Lancet Infectious Diseases; 2005
3. Jamison et al. Disease Control Priorities in Developing Countries; 2006

13. A Global Celebration
• A day to celebrate a
simple behavior that can
save lives – handwashing
with soap
• Over 200 million people
• Over 100 countries
• Over 1,000,000 schools
• Growing each year

14. Wash those Hands!
The
ENd