PHCC marks International Infection Prevention Week

The Primary Health Care Corporation (PHCC) participated in the celebration of the International Infection Prevention Week (IIPW), which highlighted scientifically based measures to prevent infection, by organizing various informative events and activities for health providers in the healthcare centers, such as awareness lectures about the Coronavirus (COVID-19) and its prevention, seasonal influenza vaccinations, hand hygiene, and other topics, through the corporation's official e-platforms, in Arabic and English. The infection control coordinator at PHCC's communicable disease and infection prevention department Dr. Ahmad Hashem said that the Covid-19 pandemic showed the vital role of infection prevention and control practitioners in fighting this pandemic. He pointed out that those in charge of infection control continue to work diligently to prevent healthcare-associated infections, as well as outbreaks of smallpox, measles, influenza, and other daily challenges with infection and to prevent the spread of communicable diseases among members of the community. Launched in 1986, the IIPW has been celebrated from Oct. 17 to 23 in 2021 with the theme "Make Your Intention Infection Prevention." The activities and events of this week come as a reminder and aim to focus on the importance of infection prevention and control as well as its role in the health and safety of patients and healthcare workers. In cooperation with PHCC and Hamad Medical Corporation (HMC), the Ministry of Public Health (MoPH) organized the Qatar Infection Control Week of 2021 under the slogan "Breaking the Infection Chain." Qatar Infection Control Week is a national initiative launched by the MOPH through its Department of Strategic Planning and Performance, as part of the International Infection Prevention Week, to raise awareness and spread infection control concepts among all healthcare providers as well as the public in Qatar.