The WHO Guidelines on Hand Hygiene in Health Care provide health-care workers (HCWs), hospital administrators and health authorities with a thorough review of evidence on hand hygiene in health care and specific recommendations to improve practices and reduce transmission of pathogenic microorganisms to patients and HCWs. The present Guidelines are intended to be implemented in any situation in which health care is delivered either to a patient or to a specific group in a population. Therefore, this concept applies to all settings where health care is permanently or occasionally performed, such as home care by birth attendants. Definitions of health-care settings are proposed in Appendix 1. These Guidelines and the associated WHO Multimodal Hand Hygiene Improvement Strategy and an Implementation Toolkit (http://www.who.int/gpsc/en/) are designed to offer health-care facilities in Member States a conceptual framework and practical tools for the application of recommendations in practice at the bedside. While ensuring consistency with the Guidelines recommendations, individual adaptation according to local regulations, settings, needs, and resources is desirable. This extensive review includes in one document sufficient technical information to support training materials and help plan implementation strategies. The document comprises six parts.

This delightful board book follows the journey of a germ using unique heat-sensitive pages and combining interaction, play and learning, showing pre-schoolers the importance of clean hands. The journey, from the toilet seat to the tummy (and out again!), explores the concepts of germs being invisible to the naked eye, multiplying and causing illness. By placing their warm hands on the thermochromic patches, the multiplying germs are revealed. The simple, bright and bold illustrations by Charlie Evans allow children to develop an understanding of science and health from a young age, while having fun in the process

The first comprehensive, authoritative review of one of the most fundamental and important issues in infection control and patient safety, hand hygiene. Developed and presented by the world's leading scholar-clinicians, Hand Hygiene is an essential resource for all medical professionals. Developed and presented by the world leaders in this fundamental topic Fully integrates World Health Organization (WHO) guidelines and policies Offers a global perspective in tackling hand hygiene issues in developed and developing countries Coverage of basic and highly complex clinical applications of hand hygiene practices Includes novel and unusual aspects and issues in hand hygiene such as religious and cultural aspects and patient participation Offers guidance at the individual, institutional, and organizational levels for national and worldwide hygiene promotion campaigns

In early 2013, WHO convened an expert group of scientists from 14 collaborating research institutions to update the assessment of the burden of diarrhoeal disease from inadequate water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) and to reassess the effectiveness of WASH interventions. This group considered evolving and alternative methods for assessing the burden of disease and agreed on a rigorous new approach using meta-regression. In deriving the new figures, the experts incorporated the latest data on use of improved water and sanitation with minor adjustments, and drew upon the results from two new global reviews on microbial water quality and of handwashing practices specially prepared as part of this effort. This document outlines the latest research on the burden of diarrhoea related to inadequate water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH). It is based on a series of articles published in the scientific literature. In bringing together current evidence on exposure to unsafe drinking-water, inadequate sanitation and hygiene, alongside the most up-to-date analysis on the health impacts of interventions, this document contributes to informed policymaking and targeting of resources. It underscores how further progress can be achieved in this unfinished global water and sanitation and health agenda.

On 20 November 2009, the global community celebrates the 20th anniversary of the adoption by the United Nations General Assembly of the Convention on the Rights of the Child, the unique document that sets international standards for the care, treatment and protection of all individuals below age 18. To celebrate this landmark, the United Nations Children's Fund is dedicating a special edition of its flagship report The State of the World's Children to examining the Convention's evolution, progress achieved on child rights, challenges remaining, and actions to be taken to ensure that its promise becomes a reality for all children.