The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) has emphasised the vital role of hand hygiene in protecting public health, urging health workers across all levels to lead by example through consistent handwashing both in healthcare settings and in their daily lives, while promoting the habit as a key measure to prevent infections.
The agency described this year’s World Hand Hygiene Day theme, ‘It Might Be Gloves. It’s Always Hand Hygiene’ as timely and relevant, emphasizing its goal to dispel misconceptions around glove use while reinforcing the critical importance of clean hands in both clinical and community settings, especially as the country continues to battle infectious diseases.
The NCDC director general, Dr. Jide Idris, made this appeal in Abuja on Monday during the commemoration of the day organised by the agency at the Maitama District Hospital, where he emphasized that hand hygiene is far more than a routine but a clinical standard, a moral responsibility, and a cornerstone of national health security.
“It remains the single most effective intervention for preventing healthcare-associated infections (HAIs), containing multidrug-resistant organisms, and saving lives,” he said.
Despite the proven impact of hand washing, Dr. Idris, who was represented by Dr. Tochi Okwor, the Head of Disease Prevention and Control at NCDC, lamented that compliance remains inconsistent across healthcare facilities, leading to preventable deaths, prolonged hospital stays, and unnecessary antibiotic use.
He warned against the mistaken belief that gloves negate the need for hand hygiene. “Gloves, when misused, whether by skipping hand hygiene or not changing them between tasks, become tools of contamination,” he said.
He also called for evidence-based and risk-informed glove use, a principle now embedded in Nigeria’s National Infection Prevention and Control (IPC) Strategic Plan and the 2024–2028 National Action Plan on Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR).
He outlined significant national progress made in IPC, notably the Turn Nigeria Orange initiative, launched in 2019, which continues to unify healthcare facilities under a single IPC strategy.
Through the campaign, he said more than 150 facility-level IPC programs have been established, over 390 professionals trained, and a dedicated IPC budget line at the national level enabled structured implementation across all 36 States and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).
Other achievements, according to him, include the establishment of the Orange Network facilities serving as national IPC and antimicrobial stewardship centers, the rollout of HAI surveillance systems, and the adoption of locally led quality improvement approaches such as PALS (Participatory Approach to Learning in Systems).
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Dr. Idris stressed that real transformation requires moving beyond policies to building a culture of hygiene through strong leadership, continuous training, patient involvement, and data-driven feedback.
“Every clean hand is a declaration that safety matters, that patients deserve better, and that no one should be harmed in the process of care,” he said.
Echoing his sentiments, Dr. Adedolapo Fasawe, the Mandate Secretary of Health Services and Environment in the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA), commended Maitama District Hospital for hosting the event and for its leadership in infection prevention efforts.
Observing that, even in 2025, hand hygiene remains a behaviour that must be reinforced, Fasawe said, “It’s not the availability of water that’s the issue, its attitude.
“During pandemics, people carry sanitisers and wash their hands, but when the crisis ends, so does the habit”.
Represented by Dr. Osayande Osagie, the Director of Clinical and Diagnostics Services, the Mandate Secretary urged hospitals to conduct unannounced audits of hygiene practices to instill accountability and consistency.
While praising the introduction of diploma-level IPC training as a step toward institutionalising high standards, she said, “Other countries take IPC very seriously. We may not be there yet, but we are moving in the right direction”.
On his part, Abiodun Isa, Team Lead of the IPC program at APIN Public Health Initiatives, further emphasised that up to 70% of infections in healthcare settings are transmitted via hands.
“Healthcare workers are not just providers—they are role models. By maintaining hand hygiene, both in hospitals and at home, they lead by example,” he said.
Isa also addressed the environmental impact of gloves, warning that overuse contributes to waste and climate change, noting, “Each discarded glove can take up to ten years to decompose. We must be responsible with glove use.”
Earlier, the Medical Director of Maitama District Hospital, Dr. Rita Idemudia, reaffirmed hand hygiene as a top priority for healthcare providers, saying, “Over 60% of infectious diseases can be prevented through proper hand hygiene, done at the right time and in the right way”.
She urged Nigerians not to wait for another crisis to return to such basic but powerful practices.
“As we mark this day, let it serve as a renewed call to action, a reminder of what we must never take for granted,” she said.
The highlights of the event included the presentation of an award to the hospital’s best staff for dedication to duty, as well as health talks and hand washing demonstrations for patients across various wards.