Ministry of Health Recaps, Thanks Partners of International Hand Hygiene Week of Activities

Basseterre, St. Kitts, May 8, 2023, [Ministry of Health] – The Ministry of Health observed various activities throughout the week of May 1-5 to bring awareness to proper hand hygiene in observance of International Hand Hygiene Day, which fell on May 5th this year. The activities were aimed at promoting the importance of hand hygiene and its role in preventing the spread of infectious diseases.

Community Health Nurses engaged the public in various events throughout the week. These included a booth at Independence Square, where members of the community were engaged by our nurses and reminded of the necessity of having good hand hygiene. 

Other activities included engaging various street vendors in the Newtown and Village communities, as well as members of staff of the Solid Waste Management Corp. Both groups were selected to refresh their training on proper hand hygiene. Community Health Nurses also provided demonstrations on the proper way to wash and sanitize hands, as well as distributing information materials and educational resources.

With the recent rise in gastroenteritis cases caused by the NORA virus, it is more important than ever to be persistent and practice proper hand sanitization techniques. The Ministry of Health recognizes the importance of hand hygiene in preventing the spread of infectious diseases and encourages all members of the public to be mindful of their hand hygiene practices.

The Ministry of Health urges all citizens to learn about proper hand hygiene techniques by following us on social media and or visiting their nearest community health center. A special thank you is also extended to the Pan American Health Organization and the members of their on-island support team for their invaluable support in this and other initiatives.

By working together, we can help to prevent the spread of infectious diseases and protect the health and well-being of our communities.

Video: Street Vendor Engagements – Hand Hygiene Week