By Kuda Pembere
Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene (WASH) programmes need to be strengthened in maternal and child health as well as sexual reproductive health alongside general patient care for improved infection prevention and control (IPC) in healthcare facilities to reduce healthcare associated infections, Harare Provincial Medical Director Dr Innocent Hove said Friday.
He said this while officiating the International hand hygiene day commemorations held at Sally Mugabe Central Hospital.
“Programme areas such as WASH in Maternal and Child Health, Sexual Reproductive Health and general patient care areas require strengthening to enhance prevention of Healthcare Associated infections of highly infectious Infections such as Cholera, Typhoid, COVID-19 amongst others,” he said.
He noted that the COVID-19 pandemic led to increased awareness and practice on the importance of IPC.
“According to WHO, IPC is a practical, evidence-based approach preventing patients and health workers from being harmed by avoidable infections.
“While the country has developed a strong 1PC programme over the last decade, Hand hygiene needs further work,” Dr Hove said. “The COVID-19 pandemic led to increased demand for strong and sustainable IPC interventions such as strengthening Hand Hygiene. Hand hygiene is a universal strategy to prevention of spread of infections in healthcare facilities, communities, and households.”
Dr Hove added, “To Improve Water, Hygiene and Sanitation (WASH) in Healthcare facilities, the government of Zimbabwe has partnered with UNICEF and its implementing partners Action Contre Lafaim, Medical Corps amongst other stakeholders to conduct refurbishment of WASH facilities to ensure supply of clean water in order to improve implementation of hand hygiene.”
The Ministry of Health and Child Care’s IPC Manager Ms Miriam Mangeya concurred with Dr Hove on the COVID-19 pandemic raising practice and importance of hand hygiene.
“COVID-19 reminded all of us that Infection Control is the back-borne of pandemic management. It reminded us of the need to strengthen IPC Programmes such as hand hygiene to fight serious, fast -spreading pandemics,” she said. “Fortunately, the MoHCC IPC programme under my department, department of Nursing through its technical, funding and implementing partners that include ICAZ-T, Medical Corps, CODAID and others has strengthened hand hygiene interventions in health care facilities through training of correct technique of hand hygiene performance through on the job practical demonstrations to develop and improve hand washing skills amongst health care workers.”
The commemorations were running under the theme, “Why is sharing knowledge about hand hygiene still so important?”
“The Objectives of WHO World hand Hygiene 2024 are to strengthen learning approaches to enable implementation of innovative and effective training to empower health and care workers to improve hand hygiene and IPC at point of care with enhanced knowledge, skills and behaviours.
“… To promote access to innovative hand hygiene and IPC training resources for health and care workers.
“…To raise awareness about the importance of knowledge and learning on hand hygiene at the right times to prevent a range of infectious diseases.
“…To encourage measurement and evaluation mechanisms to assess the impact of training and education on IPC standards and practices including hand hygiene, including their effect on the prevention of HAI and AMR,” said Ms Mangeya.
