title: Making hospitals safer: the need for a global strategy for infection control in health care settings.
abstract: Healthcare Associated Infections (HAI) have a substantial impact on morbidity, mortality and health costs. At least 5 to 10% of patients admitted to acute care hospitals acquire an infection. Factors that promote HAI include underlying diseases and decreased patient immunity; invasive diagnostic and therapeutic techniques, the widespread antimicrobial resistance, lack of infection control measures and environmental hygiene. HAI are preventable and infection control programmes are cost-effective. Health care workers education, HAI surveillance, appropriate legislation and basic infection control measures are the essential elements of an infection control programme. A recent consultation on the 'Prevention and Control of HAI' identified the need for an international strategy that would establish standards, procedures and methods for HAI surveillance, prevention and control and promote their implementation at national level.
authors.affiliation: World Health Organization.
authors.forename: Stefano
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Lazzari
authors.forename: Benedetta
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Allegranzi
authors.forename: Ercole
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Concia
mesh_terms: D003428:Cross Infection / Q000191:economics / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000517:prevention & control*; D019049:Developed Countries / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D014943:Global Health; D017408:Guidelines as Topic; D006739:Hospital Administration / Q000592:standards*; D017721:Hospital Costs; D017052:Hospital Mortality; D017053:Infection Control / Q000592:standards*; D038622:Internationality; D007902:Length of Stay; D009784:Occupational Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000517:prevention & control; D012308:Risk Management