Infection prevention and control in Sri Lankan hospitals in relation to WHO Guidelines

Healthcare associated Infections (HAI or HCAI) are a major problem in healthcare settings. Healthcare associated infections are defined as infections which occur in a patient during the process of care in a hospital or any other healthcare facility which was not present or incubating at the time of admission. Properly conducted Infection Prevention and Control (IPC) programmes are essential to reduce the burden of HCAIs as well as antimicrobial resistance (AMR). Guidelines on Core Components of Infection Prevention and Control Programmes at the National and Acute Health Care Facility Level according to World Health Organisation (WHO) recommends 8 core components. In this article IPC practices in Sri Lanka are examined in comparison to the WHO guidelines