WHO Global Infection Prevention and Control Network meeting, 30 October 2024

Industry Overview - The report focuses on the World Hand Hygiene Day (WHHD) 2025 campaign, emphasizing the importance of hand hygiene in healthcare settings and its alignment with broader infection prevention and control (IPC) strategies [2][3] - The campaign aims to promote global hand hygiene, particularly in healthcare, with a focus on fresh ideas to motivate healthcare workers and the IPC community [2] - The theme for WHHD 2025 will align with the campaign's core message, be easy to communicate, and provide practical actions for healthcare workers [2] Key Themes for WHHD 2025 - WASH Infrastructure: The campaign could focus on improving hand hygiene linked to water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH), particularly at the point of care, with considerations for climate and sustainability issues [4] - Integration of IPC and Hand Hygiene: This theme highlights the synergy between hand hygiene and broader IPC strategies, ensuring alignment with the IPC Global Action Plan and Monitoring Framework [5] - Financing for IPC: The theme targets policymakers, addressing the business case for investing in IPC and hand hygiene as part of overall healthcare funding [5] - Innovation in Hand Hygiene: Focus on technological innovations that improve hand hygiene practices, with discussions on the potential of new technologies [6] - Glove Use and Green IPC: This theme addresses the misuse of gloves in healthcare settings and explores the environmental impacts of improper glove disposal, linking to sustainable IPC practices [6] Recent Developments and Tools - The WASH framework, led by WHO and UNICEF, complements the Global Action Plan and encourages governments to implement adopted documents [7] - Key documents released include the Infectious Diarrhea and Healthcare Settings Operational Guide, which has been instrumental in shaping IPC and WASH actions during cholera and other infectious diarrhea outbreaks [10] - The Mpox Infection Prevention and Control Measures for Home Care and Isolation document provides guidelines for home care settings, particularly relevant given the ongoing Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC) status for Mpox [11] - The Mpox Screening Form for Healthcare Facility Entrances was launched to ensure timely detection and prevention of infection spread [12] - The PPE Guidelines for Ebola and Marburg Disease infographic provides proper steps for donning and doffing PPE, relevant to the ongoing Marburg fever outbreak in Rwanda [13] AI and Digital Technologies in IPC - A project presented by Silvana Gastaldi focuses on integrating AI and digital technologies into IPC practices, aiming to enhance IPC strategies through emerging technologies [18][19] - The project will identify AI applications and digital technologies that support IPC implementation, assessing their practical applications, benefits, challenges, and economic aspects [19] - A survey will be launched in November 2024 to collect insights from healthcare professionals on AI and digital technologies in IPC, with results expected to inform IPC professionals on effective technology integration [21][22] Global IPC Network Updates - The WHO IPC Hub coordinates the Global IPC Network (GIPCN), which aims to strengthen national and international collaborations to enhance IPC systems, improve outbreak preparedness, and build capacity for surveillance [29] - The GIPCN meeting discussed updates on IPC progress, including the publication of the Surveillance of Healthcare-Associated Infections (HAIs) handbook, which introduces new HAI case definitions for low-resource settings [36] - The WHO IPC Unit is developing a protocol for conducting point prevalence studies, expected to be issued in early 2025, to provide technical support for surveillance and training [37] Advocacy and High-Level Events - The UN General Assembly's Political Declaration on Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) in September 2024 highlighted the role of IPC in preventing AMR, with a focus on achieving IPC minimum requirements in all countries [40][41] - The WHO IPC Unit is organizing a session on IPC during the High-Level Ministerial Conference in Saudi Arabia on AMR, presenting the results of a cost-effectiveness study on IPC conducted with OECD [41] - The Italian G7 Presidency will host an event focused on AMR and the One Health approach, where WHO IPC will present OECD data and finalize an investment case document for IPC and WASH in healthcare facilities [42] Environmental Sustainability in IPC - The concept of sustainability in IPC was discussed, with a focus on integrating environmental, social, and health system sustainability into IPC practices [89] - The misuse of gloves and their environmental impact, particularly in relation to waste management and climate change, was highlighted as a key area for IPC improvement [108] - The Infection Prevention Society (IPS) in the UK expressed strong support for environmental sustainability initiatives within IPC, noting it as a priority for their members [105]