Highlighting the need for more infection control practitioners in low- and middle-income countries.
Background:Many low- and middle-income countries struggle to implement, monitor and evaluate the efficacy of infection control (IC) measures within health care facilities. This hampers their ability to prevent nosocomial infections, identify emerging pathogens and rapidly alert officials to possible outbreaks. The lack of dedicated and trained IC practitioners (ICPs) is a serious deficit in the health care workforce, and is worsened by the lack of institutions that offer IC training.Discussion:While no single individual can entirely eliminate the risk of nosocomial transmission, there is literature to support the value of designated IC persons. Recommendations from the World Health Organization in 2008 and 2009 describe the need for this specialized cadre of workers, but many countries lack the national regulations to authorize, train and manage such professionals at the national or local level. This article provides an overview of how ICPs are trained and credentialed in several countries, and discusses approaches countries can use to train ICPs.Conclusion:Trained ICPs can help prevent future outbreaks and control nosocomial transmission of diseases in health care facilities. For this to occur, supportive national policies, availability of training institutions and local administrative support will be required.
Division of Global HIV/AIDS, Center for Global Health, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia, USA.
V
V
Lipke
Division of Global HIV/AIDS, Center for Global Health, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia, USA.
C
C
Emerson
Division of Global HIV/AIDS, Center for Global Health, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia, USA.
C
C
McCarthy
Division of Global HIV/AIDS, Center for Global Health, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia, USA.
M
M
Briggs-Hagen
Johns Hopkins School of Nursing, Baltimore, Maryland, USA.
J
J
Farley
Division of Global HIV/AIDS, Center for Global Health, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia, USA.
A R
AR
Verani
Division of Global HIV/AIDS, Center for Global Health, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia, USA.
P L
PL
Riley
health care workers; human resources for health; implementation; infection control; training
Am J Epidemiol. 1980 May;111(5):472-85
6246798
Am J Infect Control. 2012 Mar;40(2):96-101
22381222
Am J Infect Control. 2010 Jun;38(5):413-5
20022404
Ann Intern Med. 2014 Nov 18;161(10):753-4
25155746
Am J Infect Control. 2012 Mar;40(2):138-43
21864944
Am J Infect Control. 2014 Sep;42(9):980-4
25179330
Eur J Clin Microbiol. 1987 Jun;6(3):341-3
3113944