Assessment tool on infection prevention and control minimum requirements for secondary health care facilities

Overview

The World Health Organization (WHO) assessment tool on infection prevention and control (IPC) minimum requirements for secondary health care facilities is a tool to support the implementation of the WHO minimum requirements for IPC, which are derived from the WHO core components for IPC programmes. Users should be familiar with the WHO IPC minimum requirements before using this tool. Note that there are corresponding tools for assessment of the WHO minimum requirements for primary and tertiary health care facilities, respectively.

The tool will assist secondary health care facilities to assess their situation regarding the WHO minimum requirements for each IPC core component and to identify those that still need to be achieved or improved. It is based on selected indicators included in the WHOIPC assessment framework (IPCAF) at the facility level. The WHO Interim practical manual, supporting implementation of the IPC core components, outlines five steps for implementing IPC programmes to help maximize the likelihood of success and overcome some of the process complexity. Step 2 involves conducting a baseline assessment to establish an understanding of the current situation of IPC in the facility, including strengths and weaknesses, with a view to guiding action planning for improvement. Step 4 (evaluating impact) is concerned with assessing the effectiveness of the action plan. This tool is a valuable instrument to support steps 2 and 4 of this process. The manual, as well as the core components’ guidelines and minimum requirements documents, provide definitions and explanations that will help the interpretation of the indicators included in this tool.