National Infection Prevention and Control Guidelines

Abstract

The purpose of the Guidelines is to provide health workers, managers and supervisors the standards and criteria against which to measure safe practice in infection prevention and control. Additionally, it provides relevant information for communities and those providing Home-Based Care. The East, Central and Southern African College of Nursing (ECSACON) initiated the preparation of the Guidelines and supporting activities. A team of senior nurses, members of ECSACON, from Kenya, Malawi, Swaziland, Tanzania, and Zimbabwe designed an assessment tool for the collection of data on infection prevention and control practices. Subsequently, nurses from Malawi, Tanzania, and Zimbabwe conducted assessment studies in their countries. The findings of the three countries studies were presented at the 32nd Conference of Health Ministers held in Swaziland in October 2000. The significance of the findings moved the Ministers to pass resolution (CRHC/RHMC32/R5), indicating that countries should be assisted to develop and/or strengthen their infection prevention and control practices. In response to the resolution, World Health Organization Regional Office for Africa in partnership with the East, Central and Southern Africa Health Community (ECSA-HC) recruited a consultant Dr.Una V. Reid to assist countries in the development and/or strengthening of their infection prevention and control policies and guidelines, and to develop a related training programme. This work resulted in the prototype Manual of Infection Prevention and Control Guidelines, which provided a framework and details for the establishment of infection prevention and control in all health care facilities (government, mission and private), homes and communities. These Guidelines have now been updated by a multi-disciplinary team with the support of CDC- Zimbabwe. The Guidelines are very comprehensive but simple to follow and are appropriate for use by all disciplines. They are designed with sections, which outline the different aspects of infection prevention and control that may be adapted/adopted to meet specific institutional or community requirements. However, like all guidelines, they should be considered a work in progress. Infection prevention and control practices are a multidisciplinary endeavour, and require compliance by all categories and levels of staff. Such compliance is obligatory to the prevention and control of hospital associated/nosocomial and other infections in the health care facilities and settings, as well as in the community.