DebMed backs WHO’s global hand hygiene campaign to raise awareness of life-threatening condition

Each year, the SAVE LIVES: Clean Your Hands campaign aims to progress the goal of maintaining a global profile on the importance of hand hygiene in Healthcare, and to bring people together in support of hand hygiene improvement. 

World Hand Hygiene Day took place on Saturday 5^th May and DebMed promoted the messaging in the week leading up to, and after the official day, with a focus on ‘Preventing sepsis in Healthcare’. 

Reported to affect more than 30 million people worldwide every year, sepsis is a life-threatening condition that arises when the body's response to infection causes injury to its own tissues and organs. 

Depending on the infection, sepsis can affect any organ, resulting in a variety of symptoms including low blood pressure, breathlessness, slurred speech and much more. 

Sepsis is responsible for 44,000 deaths each year in the UK alone, yet despite this, a recent survey found that 44% of people in the UK have never heard of sepsis and have little idea that it is a life-threatening emergency. 

To increase awareness of sepsis and ensure healthcare workers are aware of the vital steps needed to prevent the spread of infection, DebMed has been supporting NHS Trusts by providing advice, free downloadable resources, a hand hygiene guide and much more.

DebMed has also raised awareness of the WHO 5 Moments for Hand Hygiene, which recommends the key moments that healthcare workers should clean their hands. 

Paul Jakeway, marketing director at Deb Group, said: “Each year, Healthcare-associated infections (HCAIs) affect millions of patients across the globe. This annual campaign truly raises awareness of the issues that Trusts face day in and day out but more importantly, what actions hospitals need to take to tackle this issue.

“We’re delighted to be showing our support to WHO and raising awareness of hand hygiene to highlight just how imperative an effective hand hygiene routine is to reduce the risk of sepsis.”

Professor Didier Pittet at WHO Collaborating Centre on Patient Safety added: “HCAIs and infections acquired during Healthcare delivery are common, and are a risk factor for developing sepsis but we can prevent this and effective hand hygiene plays a key role. On World Hand Hygiene Day, the focus for everyone should be on the prevention of sepsis in Healthcare.”