World Hand Hygiene Day 2026 resources (Australian Commission on Safety and Quality in Health Care)

Summary

This stakeholder kit supports the promotion of World Hand Hygiene Day, a WHO global initiative, on 5 May.

Content

World Hand Hygiene Day is a global initiative led by the World Health Organization (WHO) and is held on 5 May each year. 

You are encouraged to use these resources to raise awareness about how hand hygiene can help save lives by preventing the spread of infection.

To support the WHO’s theme “Action saves lives”, the Commission’s overarching theme for World Hand Hygiene Day 2026 is: “Action saves lives – Safer care starts with clean hands”.

By promoting World Hand Hygiene Day, you can help reinforce the importance of hand hygiene in preventing healthcare-associated infections.