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This new brief from WHO provides insights into available strategies and approaches to hand hygiene improvement in health care facilities (HCFs) in support of the new United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF)/World Health Organization (WHO) Hand Hygiene for All Initiative, including sustainable interventions. The brief draws on learning from legacy work and the current evidence base. It emphasizes the synergistic relationship between IPC and WASH in HCFs and summarizes how joint action and collaboration is essential for improvement in the context of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) response and beyond.

This document is a guidance note on elevating the role of cleaners in healthcare facilities written by Hayley Schram, Lindsay Denny, and Global Water 2020 in preparation for 'Thank Your Cleaner Day' on October 21. This document proposes 12 actions to elevate cleaners in healthcare facilities and provides resources for key stakeholders, organizations, and individuals working with or interested in environmental cleanliness and cleaners.

Launched to coincide with World Antibiotic Awareness Week (WAAW) 2019, this evidence- and expert consensus-based document provides the minimum requirements for building strong and effective IPC programmes at the national and facility level. They should be in place for all countries and health care facilities to support further progress towards full implementation of all recommendations on the WHO core components of IPC programmes.

Presentation given at the 2019 Global Meeting on WASH in health care facilities, held in Livingstone, Zambia (9-11 September 2019). This provides an overview of a set of new resources for environmental cleaning, developed by CDC and ICAN.

Including aspects on environmental cleaning and hygiene

Poster presented and awared with the first prize at 2018 International Tech4Dev Conference, EPFL Lausanne. Abstract: Hospital acquired infections (HAI) pose a significant threat to the health of patients and health care employees in developing countries. Limited resources are available for health facilities: It is estimated that 15% of patients in low-income countries develop one or more infections during a hospital stay, of which water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) is a contributor (Allegranzi et al., 2011). Infections account for a third of the 3.6 million neonatal deaths each year and for 15% of maternal deaths (Lawn et al., 2010). In 2016 Ministry of Health and UNICEF started a pilot project in 55 Zambian health care facilities implementing basic WASH infrastructures including disinfectant production, waste management and hand washing to effectively prevent diseases. A specific focus was given to mother and child health to reduce burden of disease by autonomous production of sodium hypochlorite, using electrolysis to transform saline solution into disinfectant with WATA technology.

A systematic review looking at water sources, reservoirs, and transmission routes that lead to nosocomial waterborne infections in neonates and their mothers.

A case study presented at the Global Learning Event, Nepal, 2017.

A case study presented at the Global Learning Event, Nepal, 2017.

Presentations given at the Annual Global WASH in HCF Meeting, London, March 2016