Good morning Dubai – Today is the launch of the Hand Hygiene Excllence Award in the MENA Region twittered Professor Didier Pittet (Director, Infection Control Program and WHO Collaborating Centre on Patient Safety, Lead Adviser, Clean Care is Safer Care program, University of Geneva Hospitals & Faculty of Medicine and WHO, Geneva) on the morning of January 31, 2017. The city of Dubai welcomed all participants, guests and experts who met that day at the Dubai World Trade Center with bright sunshine and blue skies. The best basis for the launch of the Hand Hygiene Excellence Award Region MENA.

Just like the venue. Arab Health is the largest gathering of healthcare and trade professionals in the MENA region with more than 4,400 of the world's leading healthcare companies exhibiting from 70 countries. This year Arab Health recorded another year of major success as a global medical platform for various stakeholders to come together. This congress is indisputably in the center of attention of the regional and global medical communities and as an event of major importance it is extensively covered by the regional and international media.

The Aesculap Academy and the Chair of the Hand Hygiene Excellence Award Prof. Didier Pittet welcomed more than 60 guests and six local representative board members from Saudi Arabia, UAE, Iran, UK, and Lebanon. A brilliant presentation by Prof. Pittet demonstrated the actual launch of the MENA Award, highlighting the contents of the self assessment framework of the WHO as the basis for the participation and the importance of hand hygiene in terms of reduction of infection rates and compliance of health care workers to hand hygiene. The presentation was followed by an active discussion about how important it is to raise more awareness for the topic of hand hygiene.

With the launch of the Hand Hygiene Excellence Award we have the chance to set benchmarks by selecting the best hospitals in the region and to allow clinics and health care workers to get a real reflection and appreciation of their hard work and carefully worked out programs.

The presentation by Prof. Pittet was concluded by a book signing session of his biography  “Clean Hands Save Lives” where all participants had the opportunity to take pictures. The afternoon of January 31 was dedicated towards a first meeting of the experts and interviews with Arab Health TV.