Global strategy on infection prevention and control
Overview
A resolution on infection prevention and control (IPC) was presented and adopted by consensus at the Seventy-fifth World Health Assembly. The resolution included 13 calls to Member States for improving IPC at the national, subnational and facility levels, in line with the World Health Organization-recommended core components for IPC programmes. It also requested the Director-General to develop a global strategy on IPC (GSIPC), a global action plan, and a monitoring framework in consultation with Member States and regional economic integration organizations.
The GSIPC is country- and stakeholder-driven, with a focus on IPC in any setting where health care is delivered across the continuum of the health system. Furthermore, the guiding principles underpinning the GSIPC include a people-centred approach that emphasizes health workers’ protection and patient safety and compassion, while also highlighting the central role of IPC in combating antimicrobial resistance and in outbreak preparedness, readiness and response.
The GSIPC outlines a clear vision and objectives and identifies a target audience including a wide range of key players for strategy adoption and implementation. It also provides Member States with strategic directions to achieve measurable improvements and to substantially reduce the ongoing risk of health care-associated infections (including those that exhibit antimicrobial resistance) and limit infectious disease outbreaks by 2030. Importantly, preventing infections contributes to improving other critical health outcomes addressed by the Sustainable Development Goals, with potential huge benefits in reducing health costs and providing safer health care.
In accordance with resolution WHA75.13 and as described in document EB152/9, the global strategy was made available for the consideration of the Executive Board at its 152nd meeting. Following comments by and consultations with Member States the global strategy was updated on 20 May 2023.
Four deep dive sessions on the strategic directions in the GSIPC
Please visit the WHO IPC Global Community of practice website where you will find recordings of 4 deep dive sessions on different strategic directions within the GSIPC. If you are new to the site, you will need to request to join. From the home page please click the Resources and Tools tab which will take you to a list of all the recordings and from which you can select the one(s) relevant to you.
