Despite progress in some countries, health care‑associated infections (HAIs) remain a daily threat to patients, families and health workers in every health-care setting worldwide, including during public health emergencies. On 5 May 2026, on World Hand Hygiene Day, WHO spotlights the urgent need to tackle this persistent challenge. This year’s message is clear and urgent: HAIs are preventable: Action saves lives.
HAIs contribute to antimicrobial resistance (AMR), lead to suffering, disability and premature death, increase health‑care costs, and undermine efforts to deliver high‑quality care for all.
A large proportion of these infections can still be prevented. Timely hand hygiene and infection prevention and control (IPC) action provide a high return on investment for health systems and significantly improve patient and health worker safety in all settings.
However, action is often constrained by substandard health‑care environments, including limited access to water, sanitation, waste management and hygiene services. These gaps not only compromise IPC best practices also affect equity and dignity for those providing and receiving care. World Hand Hygiene Day continues to highlight these challenges and call for practical, sustained solutions.
As part of the Global Action Plan and Monitoring Framework on IPC, WHO recommends participation in World Hand Hygiene Day as a core advocacy and communication activity. A key indicator to be achieved by all countries by 2026 is the establishment of hand hygiene compliance monitoring and feedback, at least in reference hospitals.
Resources to support action in 2026
For World Hand Hygiene Day 2026, WHO has released a new range of campaign resources, including:
- a refreshed hero poster available in all United Nations official languages;
- modifiable templates for social media, presentations and posters;
- campaign branding assets such as virtual badges, email signatures and video‑call backgrounds;
- key messages, newsletter text, and WHO social media posts for amplification; and
- webinars on 5 May, and a journal commentary to support sustained IPC improvement.
Everyone can take part. Individuals, health facilities, communities and countries are encouraged to use these resources, take action to improve hand hygiene, and share their activities through the WHO IPC community of practice.
After 18 years of observance of this Day, the message remains clear: when hand hygiene action is taken at the right time, lives can be saved.