Ignaz Semmelweis is known as the Father of Hand Hygiene. He was a Hungarian doctor working at Vienna General Hospital.
In 1846, he noticed that women giving birth in the doctor-run maternity ward were far more likely to develop a fever and die than those in the midwife-run ward.
He suspected that doctors were transferring “cadaverous particles” from autopsies to patients during deliveries, causing puerperal fever.
When he introduced handwashing with a chlorine solution, maternal deaths dropped drastically—proving his theory and setting the foundation for modern hand hygiene.
In today’s world, most people do not truly pay attention to how clean their hands are.
Our hands are silent carriers, picking up germs from everything we touch—phones, money, door handles, even the air around us.
Hand washing is one of the simplest, yet most powerful defences against diseases.
It was the first line of defence against the spread of illnesses like COVID-19, and continues to protect us against many common and dangerous infections.
Why Is This Important?
People frequently touch their eyes, nose and mouth without realising it, allowing germs to enter the body.
Germs from unwashed hands can also:
- Get into food and drinks while we prepare or eat them.
- Transfer to objects like door handles and phones.
- Passed directly to others through handshakes and contact.
What Should We Do?
Wash hands regularly with soap and water or an alcohol-based hand rub before and after using gloves.
Educate others on the proper use of gloves and when to remove them.
Advocate for hand hygiene wherever you are.
Lead by example.
Make clean hands part of your daily routine.
Cytobiz Medical & Innovation Hub
Written By:
ABDULMALIK, Rokibat A.
(Research Intern, Biotechnology Team)
Reviewed By:
AHAMAD, Mubarak
(Research Intern & Team-Lead, Biotechnology Team)
