Safe injections
Injections are one of the most common health-care procedures. Five to ten percent of some 16 billion injections administered worldwide each year are given for immunization.
Unsafe injections or unsafe practices in relation to immunization are not only responsible for cases of hepatitis B and C, HIV, and other serious and potentially lethal side effects suffered by vaccine recipients, but may also pose an occupational hazard to health providers and an environmental hazard to communities. Furthermore, unsafe injection practices can seriously impede the progress made by immunization programmes, and have a substantial effect on global immunization coverage.
WHO's priority in this area is to promote safe injection practices. Apart from the introduction of auto-disble syringes, and safe and cost-effective sharps waste management solutions, technical assistance is provided to countries to assess the quality of immunization services and to develop and implement national safe injection policies and operational plans.
In 1999, WHO, UNICEF and UNFPA issued a joint statement on the use of auto-disable syringes in immunization services.
The statement advocates the adoption by all countries of auto-disable syringes for immunization by the end of 2003.
Publications
Links
- WHO injection safety
- Immunization devices prequalified under the WHO Performance, Quality, Safety (PQS) system (see E8)
- World Bank injection safety
- PATH - Injection safety
WHO activities
Last update : 4 April 2006
