Liberia celebrates World Hand Hygiene Day

Liberia joins the world over to celebrate World Hand Hygiene Day today, May 5th. According to the Ministry of Health in Monrovia, the day is being celebrated globally under the Theme “CLEAN HANDS SAFE LIVES.”

Quality Management Director at the ministry, Dr. Catherine Cooper, said the event which is celebrated worldwide each year, is geared towards bringing people together in support of Hand Hygiene improvement.

Dr. Copper is quoted as saying this year’s celebration seeks to support surgical care, improving hand hygiene practices in all surgical services from surgical wards and operating theatres to outpatient’s surgical services.

A release from the ministry says the World Health Organization is calling on all Health care facilities to use this opportunity to show their colleagues, countries and the world at large the importance of hand care hygiene.

WHO is also calling on the public to note that hand hygiene is the most effective measure that healthcare workers, patients and the public can carryout to prevent health related infection which accounts for the deaths of hundreds of millions of patients around the world every year.

Dr. Cooper also added that this year’s celebration is expected to take place at five hospitals namely, the JFK medical hospital, Redemption and the JDJ Hospitals. She further named the St. Joseph’s Catholic Hospital, Benson Hospital and in each health facility in the fifteen counties, where hygienic films will be screened to show how hygiene hand is important for a country. Press release