Geneva, May 12, 2023In the year May 5 – World Hand Hygiene Day – The World Health Organization (WHO) has released its first research agenda on hand hygiene in healthcare. of WHO Study on Hand Hygiene in Health Care 2023-2030: Summary It provides guidance on high priority areas for research to gather more evidence on the best approaches to improve hand hygiene during health care delivery as well as accelerate new solutions.
During the two-year consultation process with a large group of experts from around the world, 192 research priorities were identified and 178 of them reached consensus. The summary, released on May 5, lists 21 top research priorities in six key areas. . A full document covering all research priorities in the six identified domains will be produced at a later stage.
Evidence from countries shows that, while essential for safe health delivery, hand hygiene practices at the point of care remain suboptimal worldwide. While average hand hygiene compliance remains around 40% without specific remedial interventions, in critical care settings, such as intensive care units, average compliance levels are around 60%. There are significant differences between high and low income countries. Clearly, there is a need to better understand the factors that affect hand hygiene behavior, and priority should be given to areas of research where there are still gaps.
The goal of the agenda is to generate data and evidence to enable national and health-facility-level policy and decision-makers to select the most effective and cost-effective strategies and interventions to improve and improve hand hygiene. and and AMR in healthcare.
HIAIs are among the most frequent adverse events occurring in the context of health care delivery and represent a major threat to the health of people worldwide. They harm patients, health workers and destroy health budgets. according to World Health Organization 2022 ReportOf every 100 patients in acute hospitals, seven patients in high-income countries and 15 patients in low- and middle-income countries experience at least one HAI during their hospital stay.
he said Persuasive evidence IPC interventions, including hand hygiene procedures, can reduce HAI rates by 35 to 70%. In addition to being of significant value in preventing infections, IPC programs are a “best buy” for decision makers, returning at least seven times for every US$1 invested. Improving hand hygiene in healthcare settings represents a good return on investment: for every US$ 1 spent, up to US$ 16.5 can be saved in healthcare costs.
Increasing the quality of evidence for hand hygiene improvement strategies through the research agenda will ultimately lead to more efficient and cost-effective IPC programs, improved quality and safety of care, and better patient outcomes.
Most infections acquired in health care facilities can be prevented and eliminated by hand hygiene in health care facilities, however, Half of the health facilities around the world do not have basic sanitation services Water and soap or alcohol-based hand rubs and restrooms where patients receive care. About 3.85 billion people use these facilities, making them more vulnerable to infection, while 688 million people receive care in facilities with no sanitation.
Clean hands keep patients and health workers safe, and solutions exist even when infrastructure and resources are limited. Investment in water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) services in health facilities is only modestly funded – only 3% of current government health expenditure in least developed countries. The investments go beyond infection prevention to greater service delivery, increased staff morale, and greater efficiency in health care delivery.
Effective IPC measures and hygiene services in healthcare facilities are the foundation of quality care. Primary care settings – the first point of entry into the health system for many people – require special attention and new approaches, at least as recent data indicate that IPC is much lower in primary care than in hospitals. In the year A 2019 international survey revealed the need to strengthen and scale up IPC interventions in primary care: no institution met all WHO minimum standards for IPC In low-income countries, only 26 percent did in high-income countries.
First, to support countries’ efforts to improve IPC in health care facilities – a focus for the WHO’s Infection Prevention and Control Center (IPC Hub) over the past several years – IPC Hub on 5 May 2010. brand new web page In Basic IPC and Primary Care, New IPC assessment tool Primary care facilities and practical and intuitive Infographic and inventory documentation for prevention of surgical site infection in primary care facilities.