ECJ EUROPEAN Cleaning Journal

Seventy per cent infections could be prevented if good hand hygiene and other cost-effective practices were to be followed, according to a new report from the World Health Organisation (WHO).

And improving hand hygiene in healthcare settings could save around US$16.5 in reduced healthcare expenditure for every dollar invested.

According to the report, an average of seven per cent of patients in high-income countries and 15 per cent in low- and middle-income countries acquire an HAI when in hospital. And one in every 10 of the affected patients will die from this infection.

Intensive care patients and newborn babies are said to be particularly at risk.

And the Covid-19 pandemic has exposed many challenges and gaps in infection prevention in all regions and countries, including those with the most advanced IPC programmes according to WHO director general Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.

"It has also provided an unprecedented opportunity to take stock of the situation and rapidly scale up outbreak readiness and response through IPC practices, as well as strengthening IPC programmes across the health system," he said.

"Our challenge now is to ensure that all countries are able to allocate the human resources, supplies and infrastructures this requires."

WHO called on all countries around the globe to increase their investment in IPC programmes to ensure quality of care and patient and health workers' safety. According to the Organisation this will not only protect nations' populations, it will also improve health outcomes and reduce healthcare costs and out-of-pocket expenses.