The World Alliance for Patient Safety Thursday launched a global campaign to focus on the critical role of hand hygiene with over 1.4 million people suffering from healthcare associated infections at any given time.

Every day, 4,384 children die of healthcare associated infections in developing countries. Such infections have seen the greatest increase in developing countries in the last two decades, the World Health Organisation has stated ahead of the 'Clean Care is Safer Care' programme in Geneva.

The focus this year is on the critical role of hand hygiene in controlling the spread of healthcare associated infections and multi-resistant pathogens.

Hand hygiene, a very simple act of washing hands, remains the primary measure of reducing infections and the spread of anti-microbial resistance.

"Healthcare-associated infection is a crucial problem, especially in the light of emergence of life-threatening infections such as severe respiratory syndrome (SARS),) and the risk of a new influenza pandemic," said Samlee Plianbangchang, regional director of WHO Regional Office for Southeast Asia.

"Simple interventions are available, and WHO in the Southeast Asia region is dedicated to promoting greater adherence to these interventions among health care workers", said Plianbangchang.

WHO will launch its guidelines on Health Hygiene in Healthcare as part of this programme. WHO taskforces are also looking at glove use and reuse, and WHO hand rub formulation and alcohol absorption.

Other sources of infection include unsafe injections, shortcomings in waste management, poor state of infrastructure and equipment and unreliable supply and quality of medicines.

The WHO Safe Injection Global Network estimates that over 16 billion injections are administered each year, 4.2 billion in India alone.

A study conducted by IndiaClen/World Bank has estimated that two out of three injections given in India are unsafe, posing serious health hazards to recipients, health workers and the community.

In developing countries, an estimated 40 percent or more patients could suffer from healthcare associated infections that are preventable.