“Seconds save lives – clean your hands”: 5 May 2021 World Health Organization SAVE LIVES: Clean Your Hands campaign

This year, WHO’s SAVE LIVES: Clean Your Hands campaign focuses on achieving appropriate hand hygiene action at the point of care. This has been at the core of WHO patient safety strategies during health care delivery for many years but is now more critical than ever. The year 2021 has been designated the International Year of Health and Care Workers: focusing on their protection is paramount. The WHO concept of “point of care” brings three elements together: the patient, the health care worker, and care or treatment involving contact with the patient or their surroundings. Most transmission of infectious microorganisms can be prevented effectively by performing hand hygiene at five specific moments during the sequence of care. The WHO campaign calls to action key stakeholders who can play critical roles in achieving optimal hand hygiene at the point of care, helping to improve quality of health services and strengthen society involvement at large.