Each year on May 5, the SAVE LIVES: Clean Your Hands campaign by the World Health Organisation (WHO) aims to maintain a global spotlight on the critical role of hand hygiene in preventing infection. Now in its 17th year, the 2025 campaign carries the theme “It Might Be Gloves. It’s Always Hand Hygiene.” The global initiative focuses on infection prevention and control (IPC), particularly through optimal hand hygiene and responsible glove use.
“Gloves can get contaminated as easily as bare hands and do not protect 100%,” WHO said in its statement. Proper hand hygiene is the most effective defence against the spread of infections. The WHO estimates 136 million cases of antibiotic-resistant infections linked to healthcare occur annually. In response, WHO urges stronger infection prevention and control (IPC) efforts worldwide.
“IPC interventions such as hand hygiene and ensuring access to high-quality water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) services can reduce the risk of healthcare-associated infections (HAIs) by up to 70% and have a high economic return on investment,” the WHO stated.
The overuse of medical gloves is also contributing to rising healthcare waste, with hospitals producing increasing volumes annually. “Using gloves when not indicated wastes resources and does not necessarily reduce transmission of germs,” the WHO stated.
According to WHO, an average university hospital generates 1,634 tonnes of medical waste yearly, a figure growing by 2–3% since the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Hand hygiene at the right times and in the right way is still one of the most important measures to protect patients and health workers in healthcare,” it added.
The WHO has set 2026 as the deadline for countries to establish hand hygiene compliance monitoring in all reference hospitals. “By 2026, hand hygiene compliance monitoring and feedback should be established as a key national indicator.”