APIN Public Health Initiatives’ Post

“The very first requirement in a hospital is that it should do the sick no harm.” – Florence Nightingale (1863)   These timeless words remind us that patients who come to hospitals for healing should never leave with new infections, known as Healthcare Associated Infections (HAIs), acquired from the healthcare environment.   According to the World Health Organization (WHO), HAIs affect 7–10% of hospitalized patients globally which poses a major public health concern that can occur even after the patient has been discharged.   The key to preventing the spread of HAIs lies in strong Infection Prevention and Control (IPC) practices and in line with this, APIN in partnership with the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC), is extending IPC capacity building to the military health system through collaboration with the Walter Reed Army Institute of Research (WRAIR) and the Ministry of Defence Health Implementation Programme (MODHIP).   The week-long training with participants from 22 military hospitals across 17 states emphasized hand hygiene practices as a key measure to curb infections such as, Urinary Tract Infections that are a result of the use of a urinary catheter, infections that occur at the site of a surgical incision and bloodstream infections that occur in patients with a central line.   Through these collaborative efforts, APIN continues promote a culture of patient safety in military health facilities and protect both patients and healthcare workers from avoidable harm! #APINInitiatives #ThisIsAPIN #WorkAtAPIN #SaferHealthEnvironment