Department of Information and Tourism, Taipei City Government

In order to encourage hygiene and lower infection among the medical staff, WHO has declared May 5 of each year to be the "Save Lives: Clean Your Hands" Day. Medical workers around the world should pay special attention to the cleanliness of their hands in order to protect the patients and their own health. Shan-chwen Chang, the deputy minister of the Department of Health, made a promise on DOHs behalf to strengthen the control health care associated infection, and also invited all medical institutions to pay special attention to the issue.

Health care associated infection is a significant burden on the patients and the economy worldwide, but most of them can be treated or avoided. WHOs World Alliance of Patient Safety, after its establishment, stated that their first global safety goal is “Clean Care is Safer Care.” Having clean hands is the easiest and most economically viable way to lower infections. However, according WHOs estimation, 60% of medical workers do not have clean hands while providing medical care. In order to improve the compliance rate, WHO began to promote the concept of "save lives: clean your hands" and pointed out the five occasions when you should wash your hands: “before coming in contact with the patients”, “before performing sterilized procedures”, “after touching a patients bodily fluid”, “after coming in contact with a patient”, and “after coming in contact with a patients surroundings”. A complete set of promotional and educational materials were also developed in the hopes of turning the theory into real practice.

This is the second year of the event. WHOs goal is to call on 10,000 medical institutions to sign on before May 5, 2010. The Department of Health has always believed that infection control is one the most important goal in quality of medical care and patient safety. Through external audits, working with academic organizations, amending laws, and providing incentives for good administrative measures. To show Taiwans determination to lower health care associated infection with the other members of WHO, the deputy minister will be signing off on the "Clean Care is Safer Care" event on May 4. Medical institutions throughout the nation are also invited to participate in the "Save Lives: Clean Your Hands" event. More than 200 medical institutions have decided to participate, and a list will be published on Taiwan CDCs website soon. By combining the effort of the patients and the medical institutions, it is hoped that patient safety can be improved.

Source:Department of Health,TAIWAN,ROC