The World Health Organisation (WHO) has called on policymakers and the global health community to strengthen hand hygiene practices and address the overuse of gloves in healthcare settings.

The organisation emphasised that while gloves are an important protective measure; they are not a substitute for proper hand hygiene and can contribute to infection risks and excessive healthcare waste when misused.

In line with its Global Action Plan and monitoring framework on infection prevention and control (IPC) for 2024–2030, WHO urged countries to establish hand hygiene compliance as a national health system performance indicator by 2026.

To commemorate World Hand Hygiene Day, observed every May 5, the organisation also encouraged aligning national hand hygiene efforts with existing WHO guidelines and training healthcare workers on appropriate glove use, including adherence to the “5 Moments for Hand Hygiene” guidance.

WHO warned that improper glove use undermines infection prevention measures and contributes significantly to healthcare waste, with two in five healthcare facilities still lacking basic hand hygiene services where care is provided, putting an estimated 3.4 billion people at risk.

“Gloves, though vital in situations involving exposure to blood or bodily fluids, can become contaminated like hands and are often misused, such as when worn between different patients or multiple procedures. Overuse of gloves not only increases infection risk but also places additional strain on waste management systems, contributing to environmental degradation.”

An average university hospital in a developed country generates approximately 1,634 tons of healthcare waste per year—the equivalent of over 360 African elephants. WHO noted that much of this waste could be avoided with appropriate glove use and improved hand hygiene practices.

Used gloves, classified as infectious waste, often require high-temperature incineration or specialised treatment, further burdening already strained waste management infrastructures.

While highlighting the critical role of hand hygiene as one of the most effective and affordable tools to prevent infection transmission.

WHO called for governments, healthcare facilities, and frontline workers worldwide to reinforce these practices. Officials stressed the need to minimise unnecessary glove use, ensure adequate resources for hand hygiene at points of care, and prevent glove misuse by maintaining an adequate supply of high-quality gloves.

WHO Assistant Director-General for Universal Health Coverage, Dr Bruce Aylward, said medical gloves can reduce the risk of infection, but they are never a replacement for hand hygiene.

“On this World Hand Hygiene Day, let us double down on our commitment and action to improve hand hygiene in health care settings to ensure the safety of patients and health-care workers,” he said.

WHO reiterated the importance of reinforcing infection prevention protocols to protect both patients and healthcare workers while reducing the environmental burden caused by improper glove use.