Ministry begins infection prevention campaign

The celebration includes awareness activities to highlight the importance of infection prevention and control practices in all healthcare facilities. In addition, there will be a public campaign to raise awareness among the public on preventing infections.
QIPC Week is the first event at the national-level and it will be an annual awareness campaign to highlight the importance of infection prevention and control practices wherever healthcare is delivered to improve patient safety.
Huda Amer al-Katheeri, acting director, Healthcare Quality and Patient Safety department at the Ministry of Public Health, said, “Qatar Infection Prevention and Control (QIPC) Week aims to highlight the important role that the best evidence based practices in infection prevention and control play to prevent infections. The event also aims at educating healthcare professionals to prevent infections as well as raise awareness among the public on the important role they play to protect themselves and others.
Al-Katheeri also highlighted that the theme for this year’s celebration “Breaking the Chain of Infection” was chosen in line with the celebration of International Infection Prevention Week that takes place in the third week of October each year.
As part of the celebration, the ministry will be conducting a symposium on October 20 where senior officials and subject matter experts and healthcare organisations in the government, semi-government and private sector will attend.
University professors and students from schools of medicine, nursing, pharmacy, health sciences and others will be attending the symposium.
In addition to speakers from Hamad Medical Corporation, Aspetar and Qatar University, a consultant from the Joint Commission International will be delivering talks at the symposium.