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Hand hygiene: How to protect yourself and others from infections!
On World Hand Hygiene Day, the MHH Hannover is raising awareness for patient protection and infection prevention.
Hand hygiene: How to protect yourself and others from infections!
The annual World Hand Hygiene Day is coming up on May 5th, initiated by the World Health Organization (WHO) to raise awareness about the importance of hand hygiene. The date symbolizes the five fingers of the hands and is a reminder of the essential role that cleanliness plays in preventing infections. Hand hygiene is crucial, especially in healthcare facilities, to protect patients from nosocomial, i.e. hospital-acquired, infections. This emphasizes the MHH, which organizes information events for its employees and offers training courses throughout the year as part of its motto “Save Lives: Clean Your Hands”.
A central goal of the MHH is to prevent the transmission of multi-resistant pathogens and to minimize nosocomial infections. The most common pathogens responsible for these infections are Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli. In order to reduce the risk of infection, the MHH carries out regular inspections and records the hand hygiene behavior of its staff. In 2025/2026, the MHH was awarded the gold certificate from the “Aktion Clean Hands” (ASH), which includes 23 criteria, including for communication measures and training.
Importance of hand hygiene
Hand hygiene is important not only in a medical context, but also in every person's everyday life. It plays a crucial role in preventing illnesses such as diarrhea, vomiting or colds. The MHH therefore recommends washing your hands regularly - for example after going outside, after using the toilet, before meals or after contact with sick people and animals.
The Clean Hands Campaign has helped extend best practices for hand disinfection to the outpatient healthcare sector. Originally designed for hospitals, the WHO model of 5 indications for hand disinfection has been adapted for outpatient medical contexts, making it relevant across all healthcare settings.
Indications for hand disinfection
The WHO recommends the following indications for hand disinfection:
- VOR Patientenkontakt: Schutz der Patienten vor Kolonisation mit Erregern (Kategorie IB).
- VOR aseptischen Tätigkeiten: Schutz vor dem Eintrag von pathogenen Erregern in sterile Körperbereiche (Kategorie IB).
- NACH Kontakt mit potentiell infektiösen Materialien: Schutz des Personals und nachfolgender Patienten (Kategorie IA).
- NACH Patientenkontakt: Schutz von Personal und nachfolgenden Patienten (Kategorie IB).
- NACH Kontakt mit Oberflächen in der Nähe des Patienten: Schutz von Personal und nachfolgenden Patienten (Kategorie IB).
In outpatient, invasive settings it is particularly important to follow this model to minimize the risk of infections. Staff compliance plays an essential role in the transmission of pathogens and the prevention of nosocomial infections. Hand disinfection is not an option, but a necessity that must be taken seriously in every interaction with patients.
Overall, it is crucial to seriously pursue and regularly question hand hygiene practices in order to avoid the transmission of infections in both the medical field and in everyday life and to promote the well-being of everyone.