Effective infection prevention and control (IPC) programs save lives. COVID-19 tragically uncovered gaps in IPAC programs and practices in numerous long-term care homes in Canada. Globally, it shed additional light on the lack of effective IPC programs in many countries and regions. Over the past ten years, several major outbreaks have demonstrated that the rapid spread of infectious organisms through a community can be significantly amplified in healthcare settings, particularly where IPC infrastructure is not steadfastly in place. This was true with the Ebola virus, Middle Eastern respiratory syndrome, and H1N1, in addition to COVID-19. While efforts and investments were made during the pandemic to improve the situation, additional supports are necessary to create sustainable, effective IPC structures and to prevent transmission of infections in all healthcare settings. 

A dedicated team of IPC experts within the World Health Organization (WHO) has designed a Global Action Plan and Monitoring Framework on IPC1, supported by a resolution passed at the May 2022 World Health Assembly. With a breathtakingly ambitious timeline, the WHO team, in close collaboration with external stakeholders, augmented the plan with an implementation structure and a global monitoring framework. The plan is based on eight strategic directions organized at the national, regional, and facility levels. This trailblazing strategy builds on existing key WHO documents as well as the recommendations and standards presented in the WHO core components2 and minimum requirements for IPC programs3. It is work that will substantially assist in moving toward the 2030 vision of ensuring everyone accessing or providing healthcare will be safe from associated infections.

While low and middle-income countries will benefit most dramatically from this foundational work, the burden of healthcare-associated infection spares no country. Without effective IPC programs, supported by political commitment and financing, the incidence of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) will rise, fanned by spread in healthcare settings, and the harm experienced by patients and healthcare workers due to preventable nosocomial infection will continue to occur across the healthcare continuum.

IPAC Canada is a member of the Global Infection Prevention and Control Network (GIPCN), a collaborative group under the WHO IPC Global Unit, whose ultimate aim is to reduce healthcare-associated infection, including outbreaks, and address the global burden of AMR. Recently, representatives from IPAC Canada were pleased to have been invited to a pivotal meeting that brought together leaders from across the world to exchange experience and insights to inform strategic approaches for implementing the Global Action Plan. We are honoured to provide support to the global community to improve IPC efforts worldwide and are committed to supporting work done through the Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC) to ensure that Canada has a sustainable national action plan in place with appropriate reporting structures to allow ongoing monitoring of our progress, programs, and impact.

By Colette Ouellet