title: Considerations for a WHO European strategy on health-care-associated infection, surveillance, and control.
abstract: 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.
authors.affiliation: Infection Control Programme, University of Geneva Hospitals, Geneva, Switzerland. didier.pittet@hcuge.ch
authors.forename: Didier
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Pittet
authors.forename: Benedetta
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Allegranzi
authors.forename: Hugo
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Sax
authors.forename: Luigi
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Bertinato
authors.forename: Ercole
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Concia
authors.forename: Barry
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Cookson
authors.forename: Jacques
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Fabry
authors.forename: Hervé
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Richet
authors.forename: Pauline
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Philip
authors.forename: Robert C
authors.initials: RC
authors.lastname: Spencer
authors.forename: Bernardus Wk
authors.initials: BW
authors.lastname: Ganter
authors.forename: Stefano
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Lazzari
mesh_terms: 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