Infection Prevention and Control in Bangladesh: A Continuing Journey Toward Safer Healthcare

Abstract

Healthcare-associated infections (HAIs) causing significant challenge in global public health, contributed to increased mortality, higher healthcare costs, and prolonged hospital stay. While approximately 1 in 10 patients is affected by an HAI, globally¹, in developed countries, 7 out of 100 patients acquire at least once against HAI.  But in developing nations this number rises to 15. In intensive care units (ICU) up to 30% patients in has at least one HAI in high-income countries, whereas in developing countries it remains two to three times higher². Successful implementation of evidence-based infection prevention and control (IPC) measures is reported to result in a considerable reduction in HAIs, decreasing from 35% to 55%³. Outbreaks of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) highlighted the critical role of effective IPC measures in managing and preventing infectious disease outbreaks in healthcare settings⁴. Although IPC practices improved during the COVID-19 pandemic, many healthcare facilities in Bangladesh still lack strong and effective infection control programs. The World Health Organization has stressed on IPC as essential for strengthening health systems particularly in countries like Bangladesh where HAIs and antimicrobial resistance (AMR) constantly reported to remain major concerns⁵. Hospitals in Bangladesh do face multiple challenges, viz, overcrowding, limited infection control resources, low hand hygiene compliance, and lack of proper infection surveillance systems. Dastgir Harun et al. (2022) reported in their recent study in 11 hospitals, only two were at an intermediate IPC level, while rest remained at the basic level. Hand hygiene compliance, too, was reported to be only 25.3%, indicating an essential need for significant improvement in IPC practices⁶.  

Medivision J. of Med. and Health Sci. Vol 1(1), Jul 2026; p 6-7