Welcome to Hand Hygiene Australia

The National Hand Hygiene Initiative

Health care associated infections (HCAI) are a major and growing issue in the quality and safety of health care, in both the hospital and community settings.  HCAIs require urgent national consideration and action. 

HCAIs have been nominated as a priority area by the Australian Commission on Safety and Quality in Health Care (ACSQHC). Improved healthcare worker hand hygiene (HH) is the highest priority area to reduce the risk of healthcare-associated infections. Reliable indicators of HH compliance are essential, and mechanisms for the wider implementation and monitoring are required.

The purpose of the National Hand Hygiene Initiative (NHHI) is to develop a national approach to improving HH and monitor its effectiveness. This initiative is based on the World Health Organisation (WHO) - World Alliance for Patient Safety campaign – “Clean Care is Safer Care” launched in 2005.  On the 5th May 2009 WHO relaunched their campaign as "Save Lives: Clean Your Hands" .