Infection prevention and control
The Infection Prevention and Control (IPC) Technical and Clinical Hub team provides technical leadership and coordination of the IPC work at WHO headquarters, including through the IPC Taskforce. It also coordinates the work on sepsis. The IPC Hub is located within the Integrated Health Services (IHS) department in the Universal Health Coverage and Life Course division and works jointly with the IPC team in the WHO’s Health Emergencies (WHE) division and the AMR division. The IPC Hub team, along with the IPC WHE team, co-leads the IPC pillar of the WHO response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Hand hygiene
Training tools
All health-care workers require clear and comprehensive training and education on :
- the importance of hand hygiene,
- the "My 5 Moments for Hand Hygiene" approach and
- the correct procedures for handrubbing and handwashing.
The following tools and resources are meant to support bridging the knowledge gap and for you to adopt and adapt to support local improvement.
Key publication
Slide sets and leaflets
Slide sets
- Education session for trainers, observers and health workers on hand hygiene
To help your hand hygiene representative to advocate hand hygiene to health-care workers and managers. - Hand Hygiene Slides Accompanying the Training Films (slides revised August 2009)
To train health-care workers on health care-associated infection and hand hygiene. The hand hygiene training video is available streaming.
Leaflets
- Hand Hygiene Why, How and When Brochure (revised August 2009) A
summary of the Why, How and When of hand hygiene
- Glove Use Information Leaflet (revised August 2009)
On the appropriate use of gloves with respect to hand hygiene. - Frequently-asked Questions (revised May 2010)
Answers to your questions on hand hygiene in health care.
Films
Game
My 5 Moments: The Game” is a compassionate serious game designed to keep patients and health workers safe by improving hand hygiene practices. It balances the fun, engaging, and enlightening side of gaming with the scientific and theoretical approaches to hand hygiene improvement that will contribute to changes in health worker behaviour in the real world. The game is set in the International Alien Hospital two hundred years in the future. Players must look after their alien patients and keep earth safe by performing hand hygiene at the right moments.
Reminders in the workplace
Reminders in the workplace are important to prompt health-care workers to practice hand hygiene and to inform patients and their visitors of the standard of care they should expect from their health-care workers.
4 May 2009
How to handrub?
Rub hands for hand hygiene! Wash hands when visibly soiled
4 May 2009
How to handwash?
Wash hands when visibly soiled! Otherwise, use handrub
