In a significant move aimed at reducing healthcare-associated infections (HAIs), the Federal Government announced the establishment of the National Infection Prevention and Control (IPC) Technical Working Group. The initiative, unveiled by Nigeria’s Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Prof. Mohammed Pate, will address the alarming problem of HAIs that impacts nearly 44 percent of patients admitted in Nigerian hospitals. The IPC is an evidence-based, practical approach fashioned to protect both patients and healthcare professionals from preventable infections.
Pate underscored the critical need to mitigate HAIs, which induce health complications of significant severity, prolong hospital stays, and accumulate substantial economic expenses, estimated at around $715 per incident. The colossal human and financial tolls degrade the quality of life and workload of numerous families and healthcare workers, respectively.
The inauguration of the IPC Technical Working Group occurred following a Joint External Evaluation (JEE) of Nigeria’s health system. The audit underlined commendable advancements in infection control and prevention, while also bringing to light the crucial spheres demanding further enhancement. The initiative aligns with the Global Action Plan on Infection Prevention and Control 2024-2030, corroborated by the World Health Assembly, thereby positioning Nigeria as a vanguard in the field of infection prevention.
Nigeria’s National IPC Programme, dubbed ‘Turn Nigeria Orange,’ has already profited significantly from the country’s unwavering efforts to combat infection. Currently, functional IPC programmes are in place in more than 50 tertiary hospitals, with strong collaboration with state health ministries. Pate applauds the monumental contributions of the National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) in propagating nationwide IPC practices.
Dr. Abiodun Isah, a clinical services/NCD integration POC at APIN, reaffirms the country’s focus on ensuring a safer healthcare environment throughout the nation. Isah mentioned that this initiative will eventually bring Universal Health Coverage much closer to reality.
The journey began in Nigeria with disease-oriented IPCs, such as IPC for AIDS, tuberculosis etc. isolated to each institution. Now, the country has taken considerable strides towards advancing its healthcare systems, as evident from this collaboration at the national level on Infection Prevention and Control. The IPC Working Group is an exciting development for the field of public health in Nigeria, promising a safer, healthier future for the nation.