EU-WHO project trained members of infection prevention and control committees at healthcare facilities in Azerbaijan

As part of the EU-funded Solidarity for Health Initiative project, WHO Azerbaijan continues to train healthcare workers to support the country’s COVID-19 response. Strengthening the knowledge and skills of healthcare workers on infection prevention and control (IPC), one of the most important tools in the fight against hospital-acquired infections, including COVID-19, is one of the major directions of such capacity-building trainings provided by the WHO Country Office.

Based on the findings of the previous IPC assessment missions at healthcare facilities and discussions with TABIB, WHO Azerbaijan provided training to IPC committees from 29 healthcare facilities located in 13 cities and districts of Azerbaijan. Overall, 56 hospital IPC committee members were trained over multiple sessions organized in partnership with TABIB’s Department of Infectious Diseases Analysis and Management. The training was conducted by the expert of the WHO Health Emergency Programme’s South Caucasus Hub and focused on organizing the work of the committees utilizing WHO’s core components for IPC, including on how to conduct monitoring and evaluation of IPC measures independently and in a sustainable manner. At the training, the committees have also been equipped with all necessary tools to build hand hygiene improvement strategies which proved to greatly improve patient outcomes.

EU-WHO project aims to continue capacity-building support to increase the effectiveness of IPC committees in healthcare facilities in Azerbaijan. The training of these committees will not only improve infection control for COVID-19 and infectious diseases but also have an impact on the reduction of antimicrobial resistance and hospital-acquired infections.