Researchers in Canada and the U.K. developed the song, sung to the tune of “Brother John” or “Frère Jacques,” in late 2019 to help children remember the World Health Organization’s six-step hand hygiene technique.
In March, the researchers invited 40 colleagues, including music neuroscience researchers, music education specialists and healthcare professionals to create new versions of the hand-washing song in different languages.
Within one week, researchers received 26 translations, each of which were reviewed by a healthcare professional for accuracy. Combined with the existing French and English versions of the song, there are now 28 available versions covering languages from five continents.
“Most hand hygiene promotion campaigns focus on indications for action (‘when to clean hands’) rather than on technique (‘how to clean hands’),” researchers said. “Thus, continuing to promote correct hand-washing technique is currently of utmost importance to the world population, especially given the disproportionate burden of COVID-19 on older adults, and emerging evidence of asymptomatic shedding.”
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