Each year on 5 May, World Hand Hygiene Day brings attention to the crucial role hand hygiene plays in delivering safe and effective healthcare worldwide. Led by the World Health Organization (WHO), the “SAVE LIVES: Clean Your Hands” campaign urges us all—especially healthcare professionals—to prioritize proper hand hygiene as a frontline defence against healthcare-associated infections (HAIs), which continue to threaten patient safety across the globe.

Hand hygiene is a simple, evidence-based action that can prevent the spread of dangerous pathogens and reduce the risk of antimicrobial resistance, yet compliance remains inconsistent. Healthcare workers often face barriers such as high workloads, lack of access to supplies, or insufficient training. Overcoming these challenges requires a collective effort to create an enabling environment, where hand hygiene is not just encouraged but embedded in everyday practice.

In recognition of World Hand Hygiene Day 2025, Hygiene (ISSN: 2673-947X) has curated a selection of articles that explores hand hygiene innovations, compliance strategies, infection control protocols, and health systems research. These contributions are aimed at enhancing our shared understanding and implementation of best practices in diverse settings, from intensive care units to community clinics.

On this day, we reaffirm our commitment to a foundational truth: clean hands save lives. Let us work together to protect patients, empower healthcare workers, and advance health equity, one hand wash at a time.

“Profile Analysis of Handwashing Behavior Among a Sample of College Students in the Multi-Theory Model Framework”
by Miguel Antonio Fudolig, Robert E. Davis, Kavita Batra and Manoj Sharma
Hygiene 2025, 5(1), 7; https://doi.org/10.3390/hygiene5010007

“The Implications of Handwashing and Skin Hygiene on Infectious Disease Dynamics: The African Scenario”
by Olalekan Chris Akinsulie, Victor Ayodele Aliyu, Ibrahim Idris, Samuel Ajulo, Oluwagbemisola Olukogbe, Chizaram Ukauwa and Jesuferanmi Mary Akinsulie
Hygiene 2024, 4(4), 483-499; https://doi.org/10.3390/hygiene4040036

“Knowledge, Attitudes, and Perceptions towards Hand Hygiene Practice Amongst Students at a Nursing College in Lesotho”
by Malehlohonolo Ntaote, Londele Tyeshani and Olanrewaju Oladimeji
Hygiene 2024, 4(4), 444-457; https://doi.org/10.3390/hygiene4040033

“Relationship between Tooth Brushing and Hand Washing by Family Type among Adolescents: A 2020 Nationally Representative Korean Survey”
by Eun-Jeong Kim, Gyeong-Won Ko, Eun-Ji Seong, Su-Jin Lee, Ye-Seo Lee, Chae-Rim Lee and Hye-Ju Lee
Hygiene 2024, 4(3), 317-325; https://doi.org/10.3390/hygiene4030025

“Contamination of High-Touch Surfaces in the Ophthalmic Clinical Environment—A Pilot Study”
by Berdjette Y. Y. Lau, Cassandra X. C. Chan, Xin Le Ng, Dawn K. A. Lim, Blanche X. H. Lim and Chris H. L. Lim
Hygiene 2024, 4(3), 258-268; https://doi.org/10.3390/hygiene4030021

“Effectiveness of Nudge Tools to Promote Hand Disinfection among Healthcare Professionals and Visitors in Health Institution: The Slovenian Pilot Study”
by Neža Podvratnik, Andrej Ovca and Mojca Jevšnik
Hygiene 2024, 4(2), 178-188; https://doi.org/10.3390/hygiene4020014

“Evaluation of Social-Cognitive Determinants of Patients’ Hand Hygiene Decisions and the Role of Mental Health in a Cross-Sectional and a Longitudinal Study of German Patients”
by Franziska Maria Keller, Alina Dahmen, Lukas Kötting, Christina Derksen and Sonia Lippke
Hygiene 2024, 4(1), 76-92; https://doi.org/10.3390/hygiene4010005

“Microbial Load of Hand Sanitizer Dispensers—A University Hospital Study”
by Christos Stefanis, Elpida Giorgi, Elisavet Stavropoulou, Chrysoula (Chrysa) Voidarou, Maria Skoufou, Aikaterini Nelli, Athina Tzora, Christina Tsigalou and Eugenia Bezirtzoglou
Hygiene 2023, 3(4), 450-464; https://doi.org/10.3390/hygiene3040034

“Bacterial Contamination of Antiseptics, Disinfectants and Hand Hygiene Products in Healthcare Facilities in High-Income Countries: A Scoping Review”
by Palpouguini Lompo, Anne-Sophie Heroes, Esenam Agbobli, Vera Kühne, Halidou Tinto, Dissou Affolabi and Jan Jacobs
Hygiene 2023, 3(2), 136-175; https://doi.org/10.3390/hygiene3020012

“Bacterial Contamination of Antiseptics, Disinfectants, and Hand Hygiene Products Used in Healthcare Settings in Low- and Middle-Income Countries—A Systematic Review”
by Palpouguini Lompo, Esenam Agbobli, Anne-Sophie Heroes, Bea Van den Poel, Vera Kühne, Cyprien M. Gutemberg Kpossou, Adama Zida, Halidou Tinto, Dissou Affolabi and Jan Jacobs
Hygiene 2023, 3(2), 93-124; https://doi.org/10.3390/hygiene3020010