Nearly five years after COVID-19 was first reported, a new global report from the World Health Organization (WHO) on infection prevention and control (IPC) reflects the slow pace of progress in closing critical gaps in the prevention of nosocomial infections.
A large proportion of nosocomial infections (or healthcare-associated infections) can be prevented through better infection control practices and essential water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) services. , which also represent an optimal, financially rational choice for reducing antimicrobial resistance (AMR) in healthcare settings. This report, presented at a G7 side event hosted by Italy, provides policymakers, infection control professionals, healthcare workers and stakeholders with a baseline assessment that will guide their action.
The report finds that although 71% of countries now have an effective infection control program, by 2023-2024 only 6% met all of WHO’s minimum infection control requirements. infectious. This figure is well below the target of more than 90% by 2030 set in the WHO Global Action Plan and monitoring framework for infection control. The report also highlights that patients in low- and middle-income countries are at up to 20 times higher risk of contracting infections while providing health care than those in high-income countries.
“The COVID-19 pandemic, along with outbreaks of Ebola virus disease, Marburg virus disease, and mpox (monkey pox), provides a stark example of how pathogens can spread rapidly and become more widespread in health care settings. care. These healthcare-associated infections pose a daily threat to all hospitals and clinics, not just during epidemics and pandemics,” emphasized WHO Director-General Dr.r Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus. “Every country can and must do more to prevent infections in health care settings and control them when they strike. »
Nosocomial infections prolong hospital stays and lead to complications such as sepsis and, in some cases, disability or death. Addressing it by improving infection control is also essential to reduce the risk of AMR, as recent estimates indicate that 136 million antibiotic-resistant nosocomial infections occur each year.
The report found that health facilities face significant funding and resource challenges, including a lack of infection control professionals and budgets, particularly in low- and middle-income countries. By 2023, almost a quarter of countries have reported shortages in their supply of personal protective equipment.
According to new data from the WHO and the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), it is estimated that up to 3.5 million patients could die each year from nosocomial infections if we do not Don’t act urgently. Improving infection control measures at all levels will help reduce the number of deaths. Modeling estimated that point-of-care infection control interventions in health facilities, coordinated by Ministries of Health or established networks, could prevent up to 821,000 deaths. per year by 2050. Such interventions would also achieve annual savings of 112 billion United States dollars (USD) in health care spending and generate gains of up to 124 billion USD.
“WHO is committed to supporting countries to ensure that, by 2030, everyone who receives or provides health care is free from nosocomial infections,” said Dr.r Bruce Aylward, WHO Assistant Director-General, Universal Health Coverage/Life Course. “Compliance with all minimum infection control requirements at the national level and in health facilities should be a priority for all countries, in order to protect patients and healthcare workers, and to avoid unnecessary suffering. »
