New report highlights need for sustained investment in infection prevention and control programmes
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 HAIs can be prevented with improved IPC 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, IPC professionals, health care workers and stakeholders to guide action.
The report finds that though 71% of countries now have an active IPC programme, just 6% met all of the WHO IPC 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 IPC. 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).