From guidance to action: ECDC advances Infection Prevention and Control on World Hand Hygiene Day

Marking WHHD, ECDC publishes proposed guidance on establishing and implementing IPC programmes in healthcare facilities and introduces hyFive, a digital tool to support hand hygiene monitoring and data-driven implementation.

ECDC’s proposed IPC guidance in healthcare

The ECDC proposal was developed to inform the forthcoming European Commission Notice on EU guidance on infection prevention and control in human health,  as set out in the 2023 Council Recommendation on stepping up EU actions to combat antimicrobial resistance through a One Health approach.

The proposal highlights the importance of strong and sustainable IPC programmes both at national levels and within healthcare facilities, and sets out a step-by-step approach for their establishment and operation. It promotes risk-based, continuous improvement informed by surveillance data and underpinned by robust governance and accountability.

The proposal also stresses the need for sustained investment in workforce capacity and training, alongside strengthened monitoring and evaluation. Finally, it calls for multi-disciplinary collaboration with stakeholder and patient involvement and advocates the use of behavioural approaches to support effective implementation. 

Read the guidance

hyFive: smarter tools, stronger healthcare systems

Alongside its proposed guidance, ECDC supports the implementation of IPC programmes through practical tools such as hyFive, a digital application that enables real-time hand hygiene monitoring and standardised data collection, to support data-driven decision-making.

Although IPC programmes are well established, their implementation remains uneven. Limited resources, the lack of real-time data, and difficulties in monitoring compliance continue to reduce the impact of existing policies.

Developed by ECDC, hyFive is available to national public health systems and individual healthcare facilities as a standardised tool to collect hand hygiene compliance data. Through consistent measurement, structured data collection and real-time visualisation, it helps national IPC programmes identify gaps, target interventions, strengthen accountability, and support continuous improvement.

This approach aligns with the growing global momentum to strengthen IPC in healthcare settings. Under the WHO Global Action Plan for IPC, countries have committed to monitoring and feeding back hand hygiene compliance, a key national indicator, at least in all reference hospitals by 2026. This marks a decisive shift from guidance towards accountability and measurable action.

On this WHHD, ECDC encourages public health systems to strengthen IPC programmes, invest in monitoring and evaluation, and adopt tools that support real-time insights and data-driven decision-making.

The message is clear: action saves lives, but only if it is measured, monitored, and sustained.

Check out the tool

Note to editors: 

Healthcare-associated infections remain a major public health challenge, with an estimated 3.5 million cases occurring annually in Europe, leading to more than 90 000 deaths. These infections significantly impact patient safety, prolong hospital stays, increase healthcare costs, and account for over 70% of the burden of antimicrobial resistance in the region.