Effective hand hygiene is the cornerstone of infection prevention. Gloves support protection, but they never replace the need to clean hands.
On 5 May 2025, World Hand Hygiene Day reminds us of a critical truth in healthcare: gloves are never a substitute for clean hands. This year, the WHO campaign – SAVE LIVES: Clean Your Hands – turns its focus to appropriate glove use alongside hand hygiene, with the theme:
“It Might Be Gloves. It’s Always Hand Hygiene.”
Now in its 17th year, the global campaign coincides with a push for countries to adopt the WHO Global Action Plan and Monitoring Framework 2024–2030 for infection prevention and control (IPC). With healthcare-associated infections (HAIs) remaining a serious burden on patients and systems, hand hygiene remains the most effective method to prevent their spread.
The WHO emphasizes the urgent need for health facilities and governments to:
- Ensure hand hygiene compliance monitoring and feedback is established as a national IPC indicator—at least in all reference hospitals by 2026.
- Promote the integration of WASH (Water, Sanitation and Hygiene) and waste management into health system planning, which supports climate resilience and quality of care.
- Raise awareness of the environmental impact of unnecessary glove use, which contributes to waste and resource strain.
Anaesthesiologists, who care for patients across complex operative and critical care environments, are uniquely placed to support hand hygiene standards. However, multiple studies have found that hand hygiene compliance in anaesthesia is often lower than in other clinical settings (Krediet et al. 2011; Jeanes et al. 2018; Rupasingha et al. 2015).
With frequent glove use, busy clinical workflows, and multiple contact points with patients, anaesthesia teams must remain vigilant. The WHO’s “5 Moments for Hand Hygiene” remains a foundational guide, reminding all health workers of the correct times and techniques for cleaning hands, regardless of glove use.
The campaign also highlights the importance of education and training. Ensuring all health workers understand when glove use is necessary—and when it’s not—can reduce waste and improve safety. Supporting a culture of safety, guided by evidence-based IPC practices, is essential for protecting both patients and staff.
WFSA supports WHO’s messaging and encourages its global community to share resources and raise awareness about this year’s World Hand Hygiene Day. Promoting good practices, even through simple reminders, contributes to safer healthcare for all.
📄 Access WHO guidance on glove use: WHO Glove Use Guidance
📚 Explore WHO IPC training tools: WHO IPC Training
