title: Core components for effective infection prevention and control programmes: new WHO evidence-based recommendations.
abstract: Health care-associated infections (HAI) are a major public health problem with a significant impact on morbidity, mortality and quality of life. They represent also an important economic burden to health systems worldwide. However, a large proportion of HAI are preventable through effective infection prevention and control (IPC) measures. Improvements in IPC at the national and facility level are critical for the successful containment of antimicrobial resistance and the prevention of HAI, including outbreaks of highly transmissible diseases through high quality care within the context of universal health coverage. Given the limited availability of IPC evidence-based guidance and standards, the World Health Organization (WHO) decided to prioritize the development of global recommendations on the core components of effective IPC programmes both at the national and acute health care facility level, based on systematic literature reviews and expert consensus. The aim of the guideline development process was to identify the evidence and evaluate its quality, consider patient values and preferences, resource implications, and the feasibility and acceptability of the recommendations. As a result, 11 recommendations and three good practice statements are presented here, including a summary of the supporting evidence, and form the substance of a new WHO IPC guideline.
authors.affiliation: Infection Prevention and Control Global Unit, Service Delivery and Safety, HIS, World Health Organization, 20 Avenue Appia, 1211 Geneva 27, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Julie
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Storr
authors.affiliation: Infection Prevention and Control Global Unit, Service Delivery and Safety, HIS, World Health Organization, 20 Avenue Appia, 1211 Geneva 27, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Anthony
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Twyman
authors.affiliation: Infection Control Programme, and WHO Collaborating Centre on Patient Safety, University of Geneva Hospitals and Faculty of Medicine, 4 Rue Gabrielle Perret-Gentil, 1211 Geneva 14, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Walter
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Zingg
authors.affiliation: Infection Prevention and Control Global Unit, Service Delivery and Safety, HIS, World Health Organization, 20 Avenue Appia, 1211 Geneva 27, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Nizam
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Damani
authors.affiliation: Infection Prevention and Control Global Unit, Service Delivery and Safety, HIS, World Health Organization, 20 Avenue Appia, 1211 Geneva 27, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Claire
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Kilpatrick
authors.affiliation: Glasgow Caledonian University, Cowcaddens Road, Glasgow, G4 0BA UK.
authors.forename: Jacqui
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Reilly
authors.affiliation: Glasgow Caledonian University, Cowcaddens Road, Glasgow, G4 0BA UK.
authors.forename: Lesley
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Price
authors.affiliation: Institute of Social and Preventive Medicine, University of Bern, Finkenhubelweg 11, 3012 Bern, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Matthias
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Egger
authors.affiliation: Austin Health and University of Melbourne, 145 Studley Road, PO Box 5555, Heidelberg, VIC Australia.
authors.forename: M Lindsay
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Grayson
authors.affiliation: Infection Prevention and Control Global Unit, Service Delivery and Safety, HIS, World Health Organization, 20 Avenue Appia, 1211 Geneva 27, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Edward
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Kelley
authors.affiliation: Infection Prevention and Control Global Unit, Service Delivery and Safety, HIS, World Health Organization, 20 Avenue Appia, 1211 Geneva 27, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Benedetta
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Allegranzi
keywords: Antimicrobial resistance; Bed occupancy; HAI; Hand hygiene; IPC education; IPC guideline; IPC practices; IPC programmes; Infection prevention and control; Multimodal strategy; Staffing; Surveillance; Universal health coverage; Workforce; Workload