Clean Hands, Strong Communities: The Power of Hand Hygiene in Native Health
By Rex Cropp | World Hand Hygiene Day – May 5, 2025
Each year on May 5, the World Health Organization (WHO) leads a global campaign to promote hand hygiene—a simple act that saves millions of lives each year. For Native American communities, where health disparities are deeply tied to systemic barriers, hand hygiene is a powerful, low-cost tool to prevent the spread of infections, protect elders and children, and build healthier nations.
Why Hand Hygiene Matters
The hands are the main pathway for germ transmission in everyday life. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the WHO:
Proper handwashing can prevent 1 in 3 diarrhea-related illnesses and 1 in 5 respiratory infections
Only about 1 in 10 people wash their hands properly (with soap and water for at least 20 seconds)
In community settings, improving hand hygiene can reduce absenteeism in schools, illness in elders, and infection rates in clinics
Sources: CDC Handwashing Data 2023; WHO Global Hand Hygiene Day Factsheet 2024
Why It’s Especially Important in Native Communities
Indigenous communities face higher rates of infectious diseases like flu, RSV, gastrointestinal infections, and even MRSA. These risks are made worse by:
Overcrowded housing in some tribal areas, making transmission easier
Under-resourced clinics, where staff and patients may lack easy access to handwashing stations
Limited access to clean running water on some reservations
High rates of chronic illness, which increase vulnerability to infections
Source: Indian Health Service (IHS), Healthy People 2030 Tribal Data
When Should You Wash Your Hands?
Wash Your Hands…
Before eating or cooking to avoid bringing bacteria into your mouth
After using the bathroom since fecal particles can carry serious bacteria and viruses
After coughing, sneezing, or blowing your nose, respiratory illnesses like flu and RSV are contagious
After touching animals or handling raw meat to prevent cross-contamination
Before and after caring for elders or young children to protect vulnerable community members
After touching shared surfaces (doorknobs, ATMs, etc.), germs spread easily on commonly touched objects
What’s the Right Way to Wash?
Use soap and clean, running water
Scrub all parts of your hands—including under nails and between fingers—for at least 20 seconds. Don’t forget the thumbs!
No water? Use hand sanitizer
If soap and water aren’t available, use hand sanitizer with at least 60% alcohol. Rub until dry.
Air dry or use a clean towel
Avoid using shared cloth towels that may harbor bacteria.
Hand Hygiene and Cultural Practices
Clean hands not only protect the body—they honor the cultural value of respect. In many Native traditions, cleanliness is tied to preparation for ceremony, food sharing, or caring for others. Encouraging handwashing among youth can be a way to reaffirm respect for community and ancestors.
Take Action in Your Community
Install handwashing stations at tribal events, powwows, and community centers
Teach hand hygiene in schools and Head Start programs using visual posters or stories
Encourage use of sanitizer in homes without running water
Support IHS clinics with resources to improve infection control training
When in doubt, wash it out
Something as simple as clean hands can protect our children, elders, and communities. On World Hand Hygiene Day, we are reminded that even small, everyday actions can have a profound impact on Native health. When we keep our hands clean, we honor our traditions, protect our people, and build stronger, healthier nations.
Resources for Native Communities
CDC – Handwashing Resources for Community Health
https://www.cdc.gov/handwashingWHO – World Hand Hygiene Day Campaign Tools
https://www.who.int/campaigns/world-hand-hygiene-dayIndian Health Service – Infection Prevention Toolkit
https://www.ihs.gov/epi/infectiousdiseaseProject T.E.A.C.H. (Tribal Education for Action on Community Health)
https://www.nihb.org
