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World Hand Hygiene Day 2026

World Hand Hygiene Day will be celebrated on 5 May 2026.

The 2026 theme is: Action Saves Lives

New Resources

ACIPC has developed the below resources for you to use in your workplace or community.

Posters

Print out one of our A3 or A4 posters for your work or community noticeboard!

A3 Posters:

A4 Posters:

Puzzles and Games

Test your knowledge with out hand hygiene Word Scramble and Word Find! Or print out our Hand Hygiene Bingo game to play with colleagues (cut out the hands and play individually or in teams – the first one to score a whole row wins!)

Puzzle answers will be published on this page on Monday 11 May 2026.

Answers:

Word Find answers: https://www.acipc.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/ACIPC_WHHD-2026_A4-Word-Find_answers.pdf

Word Scramble answers: https://www.acipc.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Word-Scramble-Answers.pdf

Colouring pages

It’s not just children who love colouring in!

Print out our fun hand hygiene colouring pages and get those crayons, pencils, and textas out!

You can have your own competition, or just display them on your noticeboard.

Get colouring!

Global Commitment Wall Poster

Pledge your commitment to clean hands by sticking your hand to the wall

Print out these posters in A3 format and attach to a wall (see below for full poster design). Then print and cut out hands for your staff to complete in the colour of their choice (we’ve used peach or plum – but you can print out in black and white so staff can colour their own!)

Wordle

We’ll be putting up a hand hygiene themed Wordle all week from Monday 4 May, so bookmark this page and check back to test your hand hygiene word skills!

Wordle Monday 4 May:

https://mywordle.strivemath.com/?word=oqixm

Answer: Scrub

Wordle Tuesday 5 May:

https://mywordle.strivemath.com/?word=yzvdy

Answer: Clean

Wordle Wednesday 6 May:

https://mywordle.strivemath.com/?word=rwidw

Answer: Viral

Wordle Thursday 7 May:

https://mywordle.strivemath.com/?word=odfup

Answer: Spore

Wordle Friday 8 May:

https://mywordle.strivemath.com/?word=czfyp

Answer: Glove

Email signature banner and virtual meeting background

Use ACIPC’s free signature banner and Zoom/Teams background for use in your professional communications. Just click on the link below, and the image will open in another window – right click to save, and you are ready to use!

Further resources and reading:

Hand Hygiene – Helping others with hand hygiene: https://www.agedcarequality.gov.au/resource-library/hand-hygiene-helping-others-hand-hygiene

Hand hygiene: washing hands with soap – a video for partners in care: https://www.agedcarequality.gov.au/resource-library/hand-hygiene-washing-hands-soap-video-partners-care

How to Handrub (WHO fact sheet): https://cdn.who.int/media/docs/default-source/patient-safety/how-to-handrub-poster.pdf?sfvrsn=9d2f6e89_11

National Hand Hygiene Initiative (NHHI): https://www.safetyandquality.gov.au/clinical-topics/infection-prevention-and-control/national-hand-hygiene-initiative

5 easy steps for hand washing – poster (ACSQHC): https://www.safetyandquality.gov.au/resources/5-easy-steps-hand-washing-poster

Applying the 5 moments in differing settings: https://www.safetyandquality.gov.au/search?keywords=5+moments+for+hand+hygiene&fbclid=IwY2xjawRnfnVleHRuA2FlbQIxMABicmlkETF5ZTliempiVUxQamU2MzAwc3J0YwZhcHBfaWQQMjIyMDM5MTc4ODIwMDg5MgABHqDVpK3dVaAiyxJ-6123xtTQwv5h_Z5xOz2WvZq_S9q-k5dt9OA61gtsumvc_aem_qmLIOGm_X4p7d4C2o7NQdg

Recommendations for hand hygiene in community settings: a scoping review of current international guidelines: https://bmjopen.bmj.com/content/13/6/e068887?fbclid=IwY2xjawRnftlleHRuA2FlbQIxMABicmlkETF5ZTliempiVUxQamU2MzAwc3J0YwZhcHBfaWQQMjIyMDM5MTc4ODIwMDg5MgABHgq7U2pafFoRQpobL6YjskmIlxP4Gxw_4OqSVgO3rTSb9CW7I3a6yoo4tv-D_aem__YspD3l2g9Xn-Xh2v0RDoQ

My 5 moments for hand hygiene: focus on caring for a patient with a urinary catheter: https://www.agedcarequality.gov.au/quality-standards/my-5-moments-hand-hygiene-focus-caring-patient-urinary-catheter?fbclid=IwY2xjawRnfzpleHRuA2FlbQIxMABicmlkETF5ZTliempiVUxQamU2MzAwc3J0YwZhcHBfaWQQMjIyMDM5MTc4ODIwMDg5MgABHvfiJUqsdtbe2oyktC8hQjsfbnCIcR_AGKTvnXyhwqiEf62WJXhXzYmRYIUj_aem_1A5sbDbA1yUndIMLfNwdog

Becoming hand hygiene heroes: Implementation of an infection prevention and control campaign for patient and family hospital safety: https://www.ajicjournal.org/article/S0196-6553(24)00815-0/abstract

Guidelines on hand hygiene in community settings: https://www.who.int/publications/i/item/9789240116559

Infection prevention and control in veterinary workplaces: https://www.ava.com.au/policy-advocacy/policies/surgical-medical-and-other-veterinary-procedures-general/infection-prevention-and-control-in-veterinary-workplaces/

Childhood care- Preventing Infection (Hand Hygiene 2.2): https://www.nhmrc.gov.au/about-us/publications/staying-healthy-guidelines/preventing-infection#toc__129

Hand hygiene (World Health Organization): https://www.who.int/teams/integrated-health-services/infection-prevention-control/hand-hygiene

WHO Guidelines on Hand Hygiene in Health Care: First Global Patient Safety Challenge Clean Care Is Safer Care: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK144032/

Preventing and Controlling Infections Standard (ACSQHC): https://www.safetyandquality.gov.au/national-standards/nsqhs-standards/preventing-and-controlling-infections-standard

Strengthened Aged Care Quality Standards: 4.2: Infection prevention and control: https://www.agedcarequality.gov.au/strengthened-quality-standards/environment/infection-prevention-and-control

National Safety and Quality Primary and Community Healthcare Standards: https://www.safetyandquality.gov.au/sites/default/files/resources/attachments/national_safety_and_quality_primary_and_community_healthcare_standards.pdf

Enter our competition to win!

We want to see your Hand Hygiene Day celebrations!

Tag us in to your social media posts using #ACIPC, or email us your photos as office@acipc.org.au.

This year’s winner will receive a beautiful custom-engraved eco-wood trophy to show off in your office, lunchroom, front desk, or prominent place of your choice!

Competition closes Thursday 14 May 2026. We’ll publish a selection of your photos in the May edition of IPC News, as well as sharing on our social media channels.

Good luck!

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