Wednesday 5 May 2010
This year's World Hand Hygiene Day focus is on hand hygiene in health care settings, a major contribution to keeping patients safe, according to Department of Health and Families Director of Environmental Health, Xavier Schobben.
"Good hand hygiene is a simple, low-cost strategy to prevent the spread of many of the microbes that cause healthcare associated infections.
"Washing our hands properly is also an important public health issue and acts to decrease people's chance of getting sick through bacteria and viruses that cause food poisoning and colds and flus," Mr Schobben said.
The NT Environmental Health Program, in conjunction with staff of the Casuarina Community Care Centre, will be running a display from 11.30 am to 2.00 pm at Casuarina Plaza to highlight the importance of handwashing for everyone, including health professionals.
"Raising the awareness of the importance of hand washing helps improve health outcomes across the Northern Territory," Xavier Schobben added.
"The Environmental Health Program is a strong advocate for handwashing and we are continuing the rollout of the 'No Germs on Me' hand washing social marketing campaign throughout the NT."
The overall goal of the handwashing campaign is to reduce the transmission of pathogenic organisms that cause diarrhoea, skin sores and respiratory disease. The key objectives are to:
- increase the rate of routine handwashing with soap;
- increase awareness about the benefits of routine handwashing with soap;
- and positively influence the attitude of people to routine handwashing with soap.
"The handwashing display is a prime opportunity for people to become more aware of the importance of handwashing, with free handwashing giveaways such as 'No Germs on Me' T-shirts, as well as participating in fun handwashing demonstrations".
Media inquiries: Jasmine Featherstone 0401 116 144
