Hand Hygiene Day 5 May 2025

The World Health Organization has designated May 5th as "World Hand Hygiene Day." In response to this initiative, the Department of Health has promoted "Hand Hygiene Day" and the significance of hand hygiene annually since 2010.

In 2025, the tagline for Hand Hygiene Day is "Clean Properly—Every Surface, Every Time", aimed at raising awareness of hand hygiene in both healthcare and community settings while emphasizing the importance of proper hand hygiene techniques. For effective protection, it is important to clean hands with appropriate hand hygiene techniques at the right moments. When hands are visibly dirty, wash them with liquid soap and water. A 70-80% alcohol-based handrub is an effective alternative when hands are not visibly soiled. Clean your hands for at least 20 seconds following the 7 Steps of Hand Hygiene to thoroughly clean every surface of the hands including the palms, the backs of the hands, the fingers webs, the backs of the fingers, the thumbs, the fingertips, and the wrists.