Infection Control

The emergence of life-threatening infections such as severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) and re-emerging infectious diseases like plague and tuberculosis have highlighted the need for efficient infection control programmes in all health care settings and capacity building for health care workers so they can implement them. An infection control programme puts together various practices which, when used appropriately, restrict the spread of infection. A breach in infection control practices facilitates transmission of infection from patients to health care workers, other patients and attendants. It is therefore important for all health care workers, patients, their family members, friends and close contacts to adhere to the infection control guidelines strictly. It is also imperative for health care administrators to ensure the implementation of the infection control programme in health care facilities.