Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region
In support of Hand Hygiene Day, the Department of Health (DH) today (May 5) launched the 2025 Hand Hygiene Day campaign, and appealed to members of the public to develop habits of cleaning hands properly at the right moments with a view to prevent the spread of infectious diseases.
Hand Hygiene Day is a global initiative led by the World Health Organization held annually on May 5. Using the tagline “Clean Properly—Every Surface, Every Time” this year, the DH aims to promote the critical role of proper hand hygiene techniques in both the healthcare and community settings, and will roll out a series of publicity activities, which include displaying posters and visual cues in hospitals, clinics under the DH and Hospital Authority (HA), health centres, residential care homes for the elderly and public toilets to raise public awareness about proper hand hygiene techniques.
“Hand hygiene is a seemingly small but powerful act to prevent the spread of infections. About 80 per cent of infectious diseases are transmitted by not thoroughly cleaned hands after touching contaminated surfaces, and a single bacterium can multiply into 16 million bacteria in just six hours. Hand-washing can prevent approximately 30 per cent of diarrhea-related illnesses and about 20 per cent of respiratory infections,” the Controller of the Centre for Health Protection (CHP) of the Department of Health, Dr Edwin Tsui said.
In the healthcare settings, the DH and the HA have conducted regular hand hygiene audits among healthcare workers. In the past decade, the overall compliance rate has continuously improved, reaching over 90 per cent since 2021. To build a healthier and safer community, the public should commit to cleaning hands properly—every surface, every time and adopt it as a daily habit.
For effective protection, it is important to clean hands with appropriate hand hygiene techniques at the right moments. When hands are visibly dirty, wash them with liquid soap and water. A 70-80 per cent alcohol-based handrub is an effective alternative when hands are not visibly soiled. Clean your hands for at least 20 seconds following the 7 Steps of Hand Hygiene (see Annex) to thoroughly clean every surface of the hands including the palms, the backs of the hands, the fingers webs, the backs of the fingers, the thumbs, the fingertips, and the wrists. The public and healthcare workers should clean their hands at the following moments:
- Before and after touching one’s eyes, nose, or mouth;
- Before eating or preparing food;
- After using the toilet;
- After hands are contaminated by respiratory secretions, such as after coughing or sneezing;
- After changing diapers for children or the sick, or handling soiled items;
- After touching animals, poultry, or their droppings;
- After handling garbage;
- After touching public installations or equipment, such as escalator handrails, elevator buttons, or door handles;
- Before and after visiting hospitals, residential care homes, or caring for the sick; and
- Whenever your hands are visibly dirty.
For more information on hand hygiene, please visit https://www.chp.gov.hk/en/features/108742.html.