On World Hand Hygiene Day, observed annually on May 5, Saima Wazed, the Regional Director for the World Health Organisation (WHO) South-East Asia, emphasised that hand hygiene is not a luxury but a vital element of safe healthcare.

This important day, which started with WHO's Global Patient Safety Challenge in 2005, aims to promote the practice of hand hygiene, particularly in healthcare settings, to reduce infections associated with medical care.