New report highlights need for sustained investment in infection prevention and control programmes
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Nearly five years since COVID-19 was first reported, a new global report on infection prevention and control (IPC) by the World Health Organization (WHO) shows there has been slow progress in addressing critical gaps to prevent healthcare-associated infections (HAIs).
A large proportion of healthcare-associated infections can be prevented with improved infection prevention and control practices and basic water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) services, which are also a highly cost-effective "best buy" to reduce antimicrobial resistance (AMR) in health-care settings. This report, launched at a G7 side-event hosted by Italy, provides a baseline assessment for policymakers, infection prevention and control professionals, health care workers and stakeholders to guide action.
The report finds that though 71% of countries now have an active infection prevention and control programme, just 6% met all of the WHO infection prevention and control minimum requirements in 2023-2024. This is well behind the target of more than 90% by 2030 set in the WHO Global action plan and monitoring framework on infection prevention and control. The report also highlights that patients in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) have up to 20 times higher risk of acquiring infections during health-care delivery than in high-income countries (HICs).
“The COVID-19 pandemic, along with outbreaks of Ebola, Marburg and mpox are the most dramatic demonstrations of how pathogens can spread rapidly and be amplified in health care settings. These healthcare-associated infections are a daily threat in every hospital and clinic, not only during epidemics and pandemics,” said WHO Director-General, Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus. “Every country can and must do more to prevent infections in health facilities, and control them when they strike.”
Healthcare-associated infections prolong hospital stays and result in complications such as sepsis and in some cases disability or death. Addressing HAIs through improved infection prevention and control is also critical to reduce the risk of antimicrobial resistance, as recent estimates indicate that 136 million antibiotic resistant healthcare-associated infections occur each year.
The report found that health-care facilities face significant financial and resource challenges, including a lack of infection prevention and control professionals and budgets, especially in low- and middle-income countries. Nearly a quarter of countries reported shortages in their supply of personal protective equipment in 2023.
New data from WHO and the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) estimates that up to 3.5 million patients could die each year from healthcare-associated infections without urgent action. Improving infection prevention and control measures at every level will help to reduce the number of deaths. The modelling estimated that IPC interventions at the point of care in health facilities, coordinated by Ministries of Health or established networks, could avert up to 821 000 deaths per year by 2050. Such an intervention would also yield annual savings in health-care expenditure as high as US$ 112 billion and generate economic gains of up to US$ 124 billion.
“WHO is committed to supporting countries to ensure that by 2030, everyone accessing and providing health care is safe from healthcare-associated infections,” said Dr Bruce Aylward, WHO Assistant Director-General, Universal Health Coverage, Life Course. “Fulfilling all infection prevention and control minimum requirements at the national and healthcare-facility levels should be a priority for all countries, to protect patients and health-care workers, and prevent unnecessary suffering”.
Reference: https://www.who.int/news/item/29-11-2024-new-report-highlights-need-for-sustained-investment-in-infection-prevention-and-control-programmes
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