Considerations for a WHO European strategy on health-care-associated infection, surveillance, and control.
Health-care-associated infection (HAI) is a major issue of patient safety with a substantial impact on morbidity, mortality, and use of additional resources worldwide. In April 2004, the WHO Regional Office for Europe organised the first international consultation to address the issue of HAI in eastern and central Europe. The main objectives of the consultation were to identify the primary needs and obstacles for the prevention and control of HAI at country level, to design the essential components of an international strategy to effectively address the issue of HAI, and to identify specific priorities and recommendations for interventions by the WHO and other international institutions. An update on HAI activities and related networks throughout Europe, together with the outcome of the meeting, are presented, with special emphasis on future considerations for a European WHO strategy on HAI prevention.
Pittet
Didier
D
Infection Control Programme, University of Geneva Hospitals, Geneva, Switzerland. didier.pittet@hcuge.ch
Allegranzi
Benedetta
B
Sax
Hugo
H
Bertinato
Luigi
L
Concia
Ercole
E
Cookson
Barry
B
Fabry
Jacques
J
Richet
Hervé
H
Philip
Pauline
P
Spencer
Robert C
RC
Ganter
Bernardus Wk
BW
Lazzari
Stefano
S
D003428:Cross Infection / Q000517:prevention & control*; D005060:Europe; D006291:Health Policy; D006801:Humans; D017053:Infection Control; D017757:Infectious Disease Transmission, Professional-to-Patient / Q000517:prevention & control*; D011159:Population Surveillance; D014944:World Health Organization