ABSTRACT
Healthcare associated infections (HCAI) are viewed as the most frequent adverse event threatening patient safety globally. In LICs and LMICs, the incidence of HCAI in critical care units is significantly higher than HIC, with infections ranging from 4.4% to 89.9%. A study of 430 hospitals in 19 LICs and LMICs identified that 34% did not have continuous running water. This impacts on healthcare workers’ ability to maintain basic hand hygiene and increases the risk of exposing the patients and staff to hospital-acquired infections and unsanitary conditions. The WHO identified the importance of appropriate disposal of clinical waste and reported illegal recovery and recycling of discarded gloves from hospital dumping areas. Infection prevention in a resource limited environment will be challenging, and nurses are faced with practices, for example reusing equipment, or trying to challenge practices which are deemed appropriate by others; equally, finding sustainable alternative solutions with few resources will also be a challenge for the most experienced practitioner.
