For every 100 hospitalized patients, at least 7 in developed and 10 in developing countries will acquire a health care-associated infection. Among critically-ill and vulnerable patients in intensive care units, that figure rises to around 30 per 100. Kabul, 29 May 2013 – The Ministry of Public Health of Afghanistan, with the financial and technical support of WHO, celebrated global Hand Hygiene Day 2013 in Kabul on 29 May 2013 under the theme: Save Lives: Clean Your Hands. A ceremony to commemorate the event took place at the Ibne-Sina Chest Hospital where directors from many public hospitals in Kabul city also attended the event.
H.E. Dr Najia Tariq, Deputy Minister of Public Health, in her opening remarks, said that all health care providers in the public and private sector were responsible for applying measures ensuring good hand hygiene during the delivery of health services and that the Ministry of Public Health was determined to play its part in monitoring and evaluating all health centres in Afghanistan.
Dr Sayed Karam Shah, WHO’s Officer-in-Charge, said that WHO was encouraging patients and their family members to join health workers in their efforts to practise good hand hygiene. More than half of all infections could be prevented if caregivers properly cleaned their hands at key moments in the care of patients.
