New WHO core competencies for

infection prevention and control

professionals

Professor Benedetta Allegranzi

Infection Prevention & Control

Hub and Task Force, WHO HQ

a practical, evidence-based

approach

that prevents patients health workers and others

from being harmed by

avoidable and preventable infections.

IPC is an evidence-based discipline

18/11/2020 | Title of the presentation 2

Infection prevention and control

3

https://www.who.int/infection-prevention/tools/core-components/en/

Zingg W et al Lancet Infect Dis 2015; 15: 212-22Price L et al Lancet Infect Dis 2018; 18(5): 159-171 Storr J et al. Antimicrobial Resistance and Infection Control (2017) 6:6 DOI 10.1186/s13756-016-0149-9

WHO core components for

effective IPC programmes

⚫ Clearly defined objectives, functions and annual action plans

⚫ Dedicated, trained IPC professionals (1 IPO/250 beds) &

multidisciplinary team

⚫ Budget & support from the senior management leadership

⚫ Good quality microbiological laboratory

Core component 1: IPC programmes

Evidence from 2 studies shows that IPC programmes including

dedicated, trained professionals are effective in reducing HAIs in

acute care facilities

Core component 3: IPC education & training

Evidence (15 studies at facility level) shows that IPC education that

involves frontline health care workers in a practical, hands-on

approach and incorporates individual experiences is associated

with decreased HAI and increased hand hygiene compliance

⚫ Pre-graduate, post-graduate, in-service training

⚫ Evaluations of training impact

⚫ Collaboration with local academic institutions and

professional organizations

Minimum requirements: CC3

LEVEL MINIMUM REQUIREMENT

NATIONAL • National policy that all HCWs are trained in IPC.

• An approved IPC national curriculum aligned with national guidelines and

endorsed by the appropriate body.

• National system and schedule of monitoring and evaluation to check on the

effectiveness of IPC training and education (at least annually).

PRIMARY

CARE

• All front-line clinical staff and cleaners must receive education & training on

the facility IPC guidelines/SOPs upon employment.

• All IPC link professionals in primary care facilities and IPC staff at the district level

need to receive specific IPC training.

SECONDARY

CARE H

• All frontline clinical staff and cleaners must receive education & training on their

IPC guidelines/SOPs upon employment.

• All IPC staff need to receive specific IPC training.

TERTIARY

CARE H

• All front-line clinical staff and cleaners must receive education & training on the

facility IPC guidelines/SOPs upon employment and annually.

• All IPC staff need to receive specific IPC training.

18/11/2020 | Title of the presentation7

• Those in charge of (or participating in) IPC programmes*

• persons who wish to become IPC professionals and work in this field

• those in charge of IPC postgraduate education and training*

• those in charge of human resources for health care

• policy-makers, senior managers, and professionals with the mandate of (or

involved in) developing or strengthening IPC programmes*

• those responsible for training and education programmes of HWs involved in

direct or indirect patient care

• Also, those responsible for health care quality, patient safety, public health,

infectious disease control and surveillance, WASH, occupational health,

antimicrobial stewardship programmes, clinical microbiology and environmental

health interventions, including other professional bodies where IPC knowledge

can be incorporated into their programmes.

* at the national, sub-national or facility level

Target audience

18/11/2020 | Title of the presentation9

Who is the IPC professional

10

Core competencies

18/11/2020 | Title of the presentation11

5 areas and 16 domains for the IPC core competencies

18/11/2020 | Title of the presentation12

Structure of each domain section

Knowledge:

▪ General/basic principles

▪ Policy and guidance

Ability:

▪ Policy and guidance

▪ Leadership and

implementation

▪ Education and training

▪ Communications and

advocacy

▪ Monitoring

18/11/2020 | Title of the presentation 13

For each domain:

⚫ Leadership and IPC program management

⚫ Prevention of urinary tract infections

⚫ Prevention of catheter-associated bloodstream infections

⚫ Prevention of respiratory tract infections

⚫ Prevention of surgical site infections

⚫ Reprocessing of medical devices

⚫ Outbreak management in healthcare settings

⚫ IPC to control antibiotic resistance

⚫ HAI surveillance

⚫ Injection safety

WHO IPC Advanced Training Package

• Slides deck

• Trainer’s manual

• Student’s handbook

• Videos

• E-learning module

https://ipc.ghelearning.org/

Online IPC training options

https://openwho.org/channels/ipc

https://ipc.ghelearning.org/

How to put on

and remove

personal

protective

equipment

(PPE)

Standard

precaution

s: Hand

hygiene

Infection

Prevention

and Control

(IPC) for

Novel

Coronavirus

(COVID-19)

Standard

precautions:

Waste

management

Decontamination

and sterilization

of medical

devices

Standard

precautions:

Environmental

cleaning and

disinfection

Basic

microbiology

IPC core

components

and multimodal

strategies

Long-term

care facilities

in the

context of

COVID-19

WHO IPC Basic and COVID-19 Training

https://www.who.int/infection-

prevention/tools/core-components/en/

Participate in the

World Antimicrobial

Awareness Week

https://www.who.int/campa

igns/world-antimicrobial-

awareness-week/2020

THANK YOU!Special thanks to all contributors, and to Christine Francis & Hanan Balkhy

18/11/2020 | Title of the presentation17

Contributors