This year, the World Health Organization (WHO) invites us all to reflect on a powerful truth: “Action Saves Lives”.
Every year on May 5, the global SAVE LIVES: Clean Your Hands campaign highlights one of the simplest, most effective ways to protect individuals with proper hand hygiene. In 2026, marking its 18th year, the campaign continues to remind healthcare workers, aged care and disability support professionals that consistent hand hygiene is critical to infection prevention and control.
Healthcare-associated infections remain a significant challenge worldwide. They affect millions of people every year, prolong hospital stays, increase healthcare costs, and sadly, can cost lives. Yet research shows that a large proportion of these infections are preventable through timely, correct hand hygiene.
Why Your Actions Matter
- Cleaning your hands at the right moments (the WHO 5 Moments for Hand Hygiene) breaks the chain of infection
- It protects you, individuals in aged care facilities and SDA, individuals being supported at home, patients in hospitals, and your colleagues
- It reduces the spread of bacteria, viruses, and antimicrobial-resistant organisms, and
- It builds a stronger culture of safety and quality in every care environment.
Whether you’re a disability support or aged care professional or manager, your daily actions count.
Remember:
🧴 Alcohol-based hand rub or soap and water
👏 Correct technique for at least 20–30 seconds
⏰ At the right times, such as before and after contact with an individual, before support tasks, after body fluid exposure, and after touching surroundings.
These small but deliberate actions save lives.
On World Hand Hygiene Day 2026, we encourage every provider to ensure that their staff are well-trained, supported, and committed to continuous improvement!
Because Action Saves Lives, and safer care truly starts with clean hands.
Let’s turn awareness into everyday action. We can help! Check out the NGO Training Centre courses on:
- Infection Prevention Control and Outbreaks Parts 1 & 2 in Aged Care (Coming soon)
- COVID-19 and Disability Services
- PPE for Disability Support Professionals
- Hand Hygiene
- Infection Control
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Author: Cathy Kerr BANurs, GDAET, Cert IV Training and Assessment.
Cathy brings over three decades of expertise to the field of nursing education, with a distinguished career as a registered nurse, educator, and now aged care consultant. Her extensive experience spans clinical practice, training, and consultancy, where she has dedicated herself to improving care standards and supporting both ageing individuals and healthcare professionals. With a deep understanding of the sector’s challenges and opportunities, Cathy combines her nursing background with a passion for education to drive positive outcomes in aged care.
