Zambia : Government Calls For Stronger HAI Surveillance

Government has called for stronger and sustainable Healthcare-Associated Infections (HAIs) surveillance systems across Africa to improve patient safety and strengthen the fight against antimicrobial resistance.

Ministry of Health Permanent Secretary for Technical Services, Kennedy Lishimpi, says healthcare-associated infection surveillance should be integrated into routine national surveillance and quality of care systems, rather than remain a stand-alone activity dependent on external support.

Dr Lishimpi was speaking in Lusaka today, when he officiated at the Multi-Country Training of Trainers on Healthcare-Associated Infection Surveillance (HAIs), which has brought together national Infection Prevention and Control and Antimicrobial Resistance focal persons, from 13 African Union Member States.

He said reliable surveillance is critical in helping health facilities identify priority infections, detect outbreaks early, determine the organisms involved and link laboratory and clinical data to appropriate infection prevention and control measures.

“Healthcare-associated infections are not merely statistics,” Dr. Lishimpi said, noting that such infections can delay patient recovery, increase risks to newborns and health workers as well as impose additional costs on families and health systems.

He said the surveillance of HAIs is also central to addressing antimicrobial resistance because infections acquired during healthcare often result in additional or prolonged antimicrobial treatment, while resistant organisms make infections more difficult and costly to manage.

He called for the cascading of training to subnational and facility levels and the regular analysis and sharing of surveillance data with health workers and managers to support decision-making.

Dr Lishimpi said sustainable HAIs surveillance requires trained personnel, reliable laboratories, appropriate digital and paper-based tools, adequate water, sanitation and hygiene infrastructure as well as domestic financing.

He also stressed the importance of regional collaboration and peer learning in helping African countries adopt common standards and strengthen their surveillance systems.

He disclosed that the World Health Organisation estimates that about 15 in every 100 patients in acute-care hospitals in low and middle-income countries acquire at least one healthcare-associated infection.

And Africa CDC Director General Jean Kaseya in a speech read for him by Africa CDC Regional Director Peter Kumpalume, called for stronger measures to prevent hospital-acquired infections.

Dr Kaseya Africa CDC said HAIs are among the most frequent adverse events occurring in hospitals, with a significant proportion being preventable through stronger infection prevention and control systems.

He noted that HAIs not only put patients at risk but also place an additional burden on health systems through increased hospital bed occupancy, medicine use and pressure on doctors, nurses and laboratory personnel.

He also said infection prevention and control should be institutionalised as a permanent component of clinical care.

Dr Kaseya reaffirmed Africa CDCs commitment to supporting member states in strengthening infection prevention and control.

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