Hand Hygiene Key to Mpox Prevention: WHO Outlines Urgent Global Strategy

In an urgent and united response to the growing threat of mpox (monkeypox), the World Health Organization (WHO), joined by prominent institutions such as the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention, the Canadian Institute of Public Health Inspectors, the Institute of Epidemiology Disease Control and Research (Bangladesh), the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control, and the National Centre for Infectious Disease (Singapore), has issued a detailed global strategy to bolster hand hygiene. This guidance, shaped through collaborations with UNICEF and other international experts from countries including Nigeria, France, Saudi Arabia, Sweden, and the United States, underscores the vital role of clean hands in preventing the transmission of MPXV. Drawing from lessons learned during the Ebola and COVID-19 outbreaks, the document sets forth a practical yet powerful roadmap for integrating hand hygiene across community and healthcare settings as a core pillar of infectious disease control.

A Wake-Up Call: Global Gaps in Hygiene Access

Despite well-established evidence that MPXV spreads through contact with infected body fluids, respiratory droplets, lesions, contaminated surfaces, and vertical transmission from mother to child, hygiene access remains dangerously inadequate worldwide. According to WHO, in 2023, an estimated 742 million people had no access to water services at healthcare facilities, while three billion, about 40% of the global population, lacked basic handwashing facilities at home. These staggering figures expose a vulnerability that endangers both public health and outbreak preparedness. Recognizing this, the WHO and UNICEF launched the “Hand Hygiene for All” initiative in 2020, targeting universal access to hand hygiene by 2030. The current mpox outbreak has added new urgency to that mission, prompting this strategic guidance to bridge policy with on-the-ground implementation.

Clean Hands, Safe Communities: A Community-Centric Strategy

At the heart of the WHO’s recommendations is the call for governments to install hand hygiene stations at all major public touchpoints, schools, markets, sex-on-premise venues, and transportation hubs such as bus terminals, train stations, seaports, and airports. These stations must cater to everyone, including young children, the elderly, and those with disabilities. Public health authorities, in collaboration with private sector or civil society organizations, are encouraged to supervise and maintain these facilities. Special attention is given to vulnerable settings like internally displaced persons (IDP) camps, refugee shelters, and communal sanitation areas where disease transmission risks are heightened.

In parallel, behavioral change is considered critical to success. The WHO urges countries to promote correct techniques for handwashing with soap or hand rubbing with alcohol-based solutions using visual materials such as posters and community demonstrations. These efforts must involve collaboration with trusted messengers, including community leaders, health workers, animal handlers, sex worker networks, faith-based organizations, and people living with HIV. The message is clear: promoting hygiene is not just about infrastructure but also about fostering culturally sensitive and inclusive engagement that empowers people to take protective action.

Hospitals on the Frontlines: Elevating Hygiene in Healthcare

The guidance document also places a sharp focus on hospitals and healthcare facilities, epicenters of both care and risk. Here, the WHO emphasizes the need for full compliance with its “My 5 Moments for Hand Hygiene” framework: before touching a patient, before aseptic procedures, after exposure to bodily fluids, after patient contact, and after contact with patient surroundings. Facilities are instructed to ensure functioning hygiene stations in all critical zones, from patient rooms to PPE changing areas, waste disposal points, and common spaces like waiting and dining areas.

To support sustainability, WHO recommends local production of alcohol-based hand rubs when commercial supplies are scarce or unaffordable. National and hospital pharmacies are encouraged to follow WHO formulations to produce effective and safe hygiene solutions. Compliance must also be monitored continuously. Healthcare workers should receive refresher training and be supported with visual aids and communication materials. Furthermore, health facilities are strongly urged to participate in the WHO’s global campaign “Save Lives: Clean Your Hands” held annually on May 5, and to respond to the UN Secretary-General’s Global Call to Action on WASH in healthcare settings.

Research for Resilience: Building the Hygiene Evidence Base

To future-proof hand hygiene strategies, WHO is calling on nations to actively support research agendas that explore both medical and community contexts. Member States are encouraged to invest in studies on behavioral drivers, hygiene-related outcomes, implementation barriers, and product innovations. This evidence base will be key to enhancing infection prevention and control (IPC) strategies, refining community engagement techniques, and aligning national policies with global standards. The WHO’s approach is rooted in its broader WASH framework and its 2025 Mpox Global Strategic Preparedness and Response Plan, which together emphasize the critical role of hygiene in disease mitigation.

Ultimately, the WHO presents hand hygiene not as a secondary concern but as a frontline defense that must be prioritized in policies, public investments, and behavior change campaigns. The report closes with a moral appeal to governments and stakeholders: clean hands should not be a luxury. They are a human right and a cornerstone of disease prevention. With mpox resurging and many nations still struggling with basic hygiene access, the time for action is now. The global health community must work in unity, drawing on science, equity, and collaboration, to ensure that no one falls ill simply because they cannot wash their hands.