Geneva: Increased support for more effective and sustainable infection prevention and control (IPC) programmes is crucial to reduce risks posed by outbreaks to global health security and to ensure patient and health worker safety, the first World Health Organization (WHO) global survey on the implementation of infection prevention and control programmes in healthcare facilities, has stated. The survey was conducted in 2019 and its results have been published today in the Lancet Infectious Diseases.
Despite an overall advanced level of implementation, significant gaps in specific functions of infection prevention and control programmes were found in all countries, in particular in low-income and lower-middle-income countries. Responses were received from 81 countries for the survey. Overall, only 15·2% of facilities met all infection prevention and control self-assessment framework (IPCAF) minimum requirements, ranging from 0% in low-income countries to 25·6% in primary facilities, 9% in secondary facilities, and 19% in tertiary facilities in high-income countries.
The report noted that the COVID-19 pandemic has emphasised the crucial role of IPC programmes and practices to ensure the safety of patients and health workers through preparedness and response to outbreaks. It has also shown that even advanced health systems have deficiencies in their implementation of IPC practices and preparedness to outbreaks.
The WHO 2019 global survey also included a part on hand hygiene programmes, conducted thanks to the critical collaboration with the Infection Control Programme at the Geneva University Hospitals. The results have been published today in a second paper in the Lancet Infectious Diseases.
“Availability of resources, leadership, and organizational support are key elements to further improve infection prevention and control, and thus, quality of care and provide access to safe care for all,” WHO stated today and informed that it had just concluded an additional global survey to understand if infection prevention and control programmes at the national level improved during the pandemic and will release the findings once the survey is completed.
– global bihari bureau
