Infection prevention and control

The Infection Prevention and Control (IPC) Technical and Clinical Hub team provides technical leadership and coordination of the IPC work at WHO headquarters, including through the IPC Taskforce. It also coordinates the work on sepsis. The IPC Hub is located within the Integrated Health Services (IHS) department in the Universal Health Coverage and Life Course division and works jointly with the IPC team in the WHO’s Health Emergencies (WHE) division and the AMR division. The IPC Hub team, along with the IPC WHE team, co-leads the IPC pillar of the WHO response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

About us

Key technical areas of work

Core components

Hand hygiene

Two health workers examine the packaging of a sterile syringe to be sure it is safe for use.

Injection safety

WHO urges action against antimicrobial resistance in the Western Pacific Region

IPC and antimicrobial resistance

Surgical site infections

Sepsis

Basic IPC and primary care

HIGHLIGHTS

WHO governing body documents on infection prevention and control (IPC)

Read the draft IPC global action plan and monitoring framework 2024‒2030

Read the WHA 75 IPC Resolution

Read the global strategy on IPC

Read the global report on IPC

Visit the IPC global portal

My 5 Moments for Hand Hygiene Game

My 5 Moments: The Game” is a compassionate serious game designed to keep patients and health workers safe by improving hand hygiene practices. It balances the fun, engaging, and enlightening side of gaming with the scientific and theoretical approaches to hand hygiene improvement that will contribute to changes in health worker behaviour in the real world. The game is set in the International Alien Hospital two hundred years in the future. Players must look after their alien patients and keep earth safe by performing hand hygiene at the right moments.

Play the game to discover more!

News and events

IPC newsletter

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22 November 2023

Infection prevention and control in Kazakhstan

Calls

22 November 2023

Expression of interest

WHO Multi-level global survey on minimum requirements for Infection Prevention and Control (IPC) at the national and health care facility levels

Events calendar

24 January 2024 15:00 – 16:00

Webinar: Vaccines to reduce antimicrobial resistance

13 December 2023 09:00 – 11:00

WHO Training webinar – Learning together how to complete the WHO global survey on the minimum requirements for infection prevention and control at the national and facility levels

12 December 2023 14:00 – 15:30

WHO Infection Prevention and Control (IPC) Global Webinar: Special webinar series on the WHO Global Strategy on IPC #4

29 November 2023 14:00 – 15:00

Introduction to the WHO global survey on the minimum requirements for infection prevention and control at the national and facility levels

WHO IPC webinar recordings

Publications

Latest publications

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

The World Health Organization (WHO) assessment tool on infection prevention and control (IPC) minimum requirements for secondary health care facilities...

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

The World Health Organization (WHO) assessment tool on infection prevention and control (IPC) minimum requirements for tertiary health care facilities...

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WHO research for hand hygiene in health care 2023–2030: summary

Hand hygiene is vital for safe health care delivery, yet practices at the point of care remain suboptimal worldwide. A comprehensive research agenda...

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

The WHO assessment tool on infection prevention and control (IPC) minimum requirements for primary health care facilities is a tool to support the implementation...

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