The Center for Water, Sanitation, Health, and Appropriate Technology Development (WASHTED) under the Malawi University of Business and Applied Sciences (MUBAS) joined other stakeholders in the health sector to commemorate World Hand Hygiene Day. The Malawi Liverpool Wellcome program (MLW), Malawi University of Business and Applied Sciences (MUBAS), Médecins San Frontières (MSF), and Queen Elizabeth Central Hospital collaborated to organize the event. As part of its contribution to the event, WASHTED funded some activities and conducted health talks.
World Hand Hygiene Day, established by the World Health Organization (WHO) in 2009, is commemorated annually on May 5. The day aims to raise awareness on the importance of observing hand hygiene in preventing infections in healthcare setting.
This year, the event was hosted by Queen Elizabeth Central Hospital and centred around the theme: Empowering Healthcare Workers and Guardians through Innovative Training on Infection Prevention, including Hand Hygiene. The event featured various activities such as an effective handwashing competition among health workers and guardians, drama performances, traditional dances, and health talks.
To ensure a widespread outreach, the event leveraged media coverage to disseminate hand hygiene messages. This included features on programs like “Good Morning, Malawi” on Malawi Broadcasting Station (MBC), a special program on Times Television, and news coverage by Nations Publications Limited. Through the event, guardians and health workers were able to understand the importance of effective handwashing in infection prevention.
