The World Health Organisation (WHO) has made significant strides in bolstering health emergency preparedness and advocating for improved hand hygiene practices. In Abuja, the WHO donated eight utility vehicles to the FCT Administration to enhance the operational capacity of the public health emergency response system. Dr. Walter Kazadi Mulombo, the WHO Country Representative in Nigeria, emphasized that this donation is part of the Strengthening and Utilising Response Groups for Emergencies (SURGE) initiative, aimed at improving health emergency preparedness and response within the FCT, one of the six states selected for the SURGE implementation in Nigeria. These vehicles are intended to enhance mobility and rapid deployment capabilities for emergency teams, ensuring swift delivery of critical personnel, supplies, and response efforts to affected communities.

In a parallel effort, the WHO has urged policymakers and the global health community to prioritize hand hygiene practices and address the overuse of gloves in healthcare settings. While acknowledging the importance of gloves as a protective measure, the WHO stressed that they should not replace proper hand hygiene and can contribute to infection risks and increased healthcare waste if misused. As part of its Global Action Plan and monitoring framework on infection prevention and control (IPC) for 2024–2030, the WHO has called on countries to establish hand hygiene compliance as a national health system performance indicator by 2026. To commemorate World Hand Hygiene Day on May 5, the WHO encouraged the alignment of national hand hygiene efforts with WHO guidelines and comprehensive training for healthcare workers on proper glove usage, including adherence to the “5 Moments for Hand Hygiene” guidance.

The WHO has warned that improper glove use can undermine infection prevention measures and significantly contribute to healthcare waste. With two in five healthcare facilities still lacking basic hand hygiene services, an estimated 3.4 billion people are at risk. Gloves, which are essential in situations involving exposure to blood or bodily fluids, can become contaminated like hands and are often misused when worn between different patients or during multiple procedures. The overuse of gloves not only increases infection risks but also places an additional burden 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, much of which could be avoided with appropriate glove use and improved hand hygiene practices.

Used gloves are classified as infectious waste and often require high-temperature incineration or specialized treatment, further straining waste management infrastructures. The WHO has highlighted hand hygiene as one of the most effective and affordable tools for preventing infection transmission. Governments, healthcare facilities, and frontline workers worldwide are urged to reinforce these practices, minimize unnecessary glove use, ensure adequate resources for hand hygiene at points of care, and prevent glove misuse by maintaining a sufficient supply of high-quality gloves. Dr. Bruce Aylward, WHO Assistant Director-General for Universal Health Coverage, noted that while medical gloves can reduce the risk of infection, they are not a substitute for hand hygiene. He called for renewed commitment and action to improve hand hygiene in healthcare settings to ensure the safety of patients and healthcare workers. The WHO has 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.