Infection Prevention and Control for Ebola in Health Care Settings — West Africa and United States

Abstract

SummaryThe

Hand Hygiene Practices and Microbial Investigation of Hand Contact Swab among Physiotherapists in an Ebola Endemic Region: Implications for Public Health

“…This scenario could suggest a gap in knowledge on hand hygiene practices based on the level of evidence relevant for practice. Considering the adverse public health implications of poor hand hygiene practices in an Ebola endemic region, greater attention must be focused on consistent and accurate implementation of IPC practices [3] by all health facilities.…”

“…IPC practices target critical facility safety components, environmental decontamination, waste management, and hand hygiene [3]. In West Africa, strengthening and sustaining IPC in healthcare facilities, especially those designated for Ebola treatment, will be useful in preventing/curbing the cycle of the epidemic and its transmission across populations.…”

“…The common practice is that the tertiary health institutions are the preferred reference healthcare facilities in this context. Equipment and supplies, including the provision of hand gloves, running clean water, reliable electricity, and infrastructure, are all essential elements of IPC, necessary to decrease disease transmission [3]. Therefore, in clinical practice, physiotherapists in Ebola endemic regions must observe stringent infection control protocols, especially hand hygiene practices.…”

Infection prevention and control in health facilities in post-Ebola Liberia: don't forget the private sector!

“…Suboptimal IPC interventions could have grave consequences, including, but not only, for HAI, which have been shown to play an important role in the West Africa Ebola outbreak, with many adverse consequences. 5,9 Further research is needed, including qualitative and cost studies, to better understand the determinants of poor IPC implementation in the private sector. Research could also include a thorough analysis of the incidence of HAI and/or the occurrence of infections among HCWs, in relation to the implementation of different IPC measures.…”

“…[5][6][7][8] Due to the large number of deaths among health staff and the loss of community confidence in the health system, many health facilities closed completely during the outbreak. 9 The EVD outbreak and the ensuing breakdown of the health system, the high burden of EVD among HCWs, the fact that health facilities acted as drivers of EVD transmission during the outbreak, 10 and the closure of health facilities, all highlighted the importance and the necessity of IPC as the only measure capable of protecting patients, visitors, care givers, frontline HCWs and crucial health facilities in the face of a deadly outbreak. 11 IPC knowledge and good practices consequently became a national priority in the affected countries, including Liberia.…”