May 5, 2022
May 5 has been designated by the World Health Organization (WHO) as World Hand Hygiene Day. This day is recognized to raise awareness and inspire a global movement by bringing everyone together to support one of the simplest but most effective ways to reduce the spread of germs and infections – practicing proper hand hygiene.
Hand hygiene is the beginning to quality and safe care. Clean hands do save lives.
Marianita Lampitoc, Director, Infection Prevention and Control at LHSC, takes the time to reflect on the importance of World Hand Hygiene Day today:
“As I was preparing to go to work, my then five-year-old son asked me, Ma, what do you do at work? And in my attempt to explain in a simple way what an infection prevention and control practitioner is to my little boy, I quickly said, I teach people how to clean their hands. With a curious face, he replied, they pay you for that? Now, 17 years later, the importance of what we do in Infection Prevention and Control remains as relevant as ever. As I reflect on the importance of this day, I realize all infection prevention and control measures begin with the simplest step of cleaning our hands.”