By Esther Owolabi 

As Nigeria joins the global community to commemorate the World Hand Hygiene Day 2025, health experts and stakeholders have renewed calls for improved hand hygiene practices as a cornerstone of infection prevention and control.

World Hand Hygiene Day, marked every May 5, is a global initiative aimed at promoting hand hygiene as a vital measure in saving lives and preventing infections, particularly in healthcare settings.

This year’s campaign highlights that gloves alone are not sufficient—clean hands remain essential.

Delivering an address during a one-day scientific workshop organised by the University of Benin Teaching Hospital, UBTH, on the theme: "It Might Be Gloves, It’s Always Hand Hygiene," the Chief Medical Director of UBTH, Professor Darlington Obaseki, emphasized that the use of gloves should never be seen as a substitute for proper hand hygiene.

“A lot of persons believe that when you wear gloves, you are safe. Yes. 

Gloves provide protection, but hand hygiene is the fundamental. If you don't wash your hands properly, with soap and running water, and wear gloves, you are still a risk to the patients and yourself."

He urged health leaders to ensure the availability of hand hygiene supplies, health practitioners to prioritize safety, patients to follow protocols, and parents to instill hygiene habits in children.

The Chairperson of the National Infection Prevention and Control (IPC) Committee, Dr. Tochi Okwor, called for hand hygiene to become a daily institutional culture. She praised the ongoing Turn Nigeria Orange (TNO) campaign and the growing Orange Network, which promotes centers of excellence in IPC and antimicrobial stewardship across Nigeria.

Also speaking, the Chairperson of the IPC Committee at UBTH, Dr. Esohe Ogboghodo, reiterated the importance of institutional commitment to infection control. 

Guest speaker Edith Uwugiaren, a UK-based nurse, highlighted the importance of responsible glove use and stressed that indiscriminate glove wearing contributes to environmental pollution and does not guarantee infection prevention.

“Gloves should be used appropriately. Improper use not only wastes resources but can increase the risk of germ transmission if not followed by proper hand hygiene."

The Chief Environmental Health Officer at UBTH, Dr. Osagioduwa Olotu, also addressed the gathering, calling attention to the environmental and public health risks of poor medical waste disposal. She advocated for better waste segregation systems in hospitals.

Earlier, UBTH staff and stakeholders staged a hand hygiene road walk and awareness campaign around the hospital premises to sensitize staff, patients, and visitors on the importance of hand hygiene.