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Infection prevention and control

Located within the Integrated Health Services (IHS) department, the IPC Unit provides technical leadership and coordination of the infection prevention and control work at WHO headquarters.

About us

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

Hand hygiene technical reference manual: to be used by health-care workers, trainers and observers of hand hygiene practices

Download

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

30 July 2017

5 Moments Hand Hygiene: Training for Health Workers

29 April 2016

WHO surgical hand preparation technique

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.

30 April 2024

Testing your knowledge on hand hygiene: A novel serious game entitled, "My 5 Moments: the Game"

OpenWHO hand hygiene module

OpenWHO module - Standard precautions: Hand hygiene

The hands of health care workers (HCWs) play a critical role in keeping patients safe. If HCWs do not clean their hands at the right moments, using the proper methods, they can transmit infection-causing microorganisms through their hands from one patient to another. Performing hand hygiene at key moments is an important health care intervention. Hand hygiene reduces the transmission of microorganisms (including those that are antibiotic-resistant), increases patient safety, and decreases health care-associated infection (HAI). Effective, timely hand hygiene is a cornerstone of infection prevention and control.

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.

Rub hands for hand hygiene! Wash hands when visibly soiled

Download

Wash hands when visibly soiled! Otherwise, use handrub

Download

Infographic

Your 5 Moments for Hand Hygiene

Infographic

My 5 Moments for Hand Hygiene: Focus on caring for a patient with a Urinary Catheter

Infographic

My 5 Moments for Hand Hygiene: Focus on caring for a patient with an endotracheal tube

Infographic

My 5 Moments for Hand Hygiene: Focus on caring for a patient with a post-operative wound

Infographic

My 5 Moments for Hand Hygiene: Focus on caring for a patient with a peripheral venous catheter

Infographic

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Hand hygiene

Training tools

Key publication

Hand hygiene technical reference manual: to be used by health-care workers, trainers...

Slide sets and leaflets

Slide sets

Leaflets

Films

5 Moments Hand Hygiene: Training for Health Workers

WHO surgical hand preparation technique

Game

My 5 Moments for Hand Hygiene

Testing your knowledge on hand hygiene: A novel serious game entitled, "My 5 Moments: the Game"

OpenWHO hand hygiene module

Reminders in the workplace

How to handrub?

How to handwash?

Your 5 Moments for Hand Hygiene

My 5 Moments for Hand Hygiene: Focus on caring for a patient with a Urinary Catheter

My 5 Moments for Hand Hygiene: Focus on caring for a patient with an endotracheal tube

My 5 Moments for Hand Hygiene: Focus on caring for a patient with a post-operative wound

My 5 Moments for Hand Hygiene: Focus on caring for a patient with a peripheral venous catheter

Your 5 Moments for Hand Hygiene: Dental care

Your 5 Moments for Hand Hygiene Poster: Outpatient care

Your 5 Moments for Hand Hygiene: Paediatric consultation

Your 5 Moments for Hand Hygiene: Vaccination

Your 5 Moments for Hand Hygiene: Residential care

Your 5 Moments for hand hygiene care in a maternity unit Ver.2

Your 5 Moments for hand hygiene care in a maternity unit Ver.1

Your 5 Moments for Hand Hygiene: Haemodialysis

My 5 Moments for Hand Hygiene: Focus on caring for a patient with a central venous catheter