DUBAI — To contain the spread of healthcare-related infections, also known as nosocomial infections, which affect millions of patients each year, the Ministry of Health, in association with the World Health Organisation (WHO), has inaugurated the Global Patient Safety Challenge with the theme, “Clean Care is Safer Care”, at the Patient Safety Congress 2006.

Healthcare-associated infections are a global problem affecting both developing and developed countries. “Clean Care is Safer Care” emphasises the critical role of hand hygiene in controlling the spread of these infections.

At the inaugural ceremony held at Crowne Plaza yesterday, Humaid Mohammed Obeid Al Qutami, Minister of Health, signed a statement committing to address healthcare-associated infections in the country.

Also attending the ceremony were Sir Liam Donaldson, chief medical officer of the UK and chair of the World Alliance for Patient Safety.

Other participants included Dr Hamad Al Manes, Saudi minister of health, Dr Abdullah Al Rabeah, CEO, Saudi National Guard Health Affairs, Dr Ziad Memish, director of the GCC Centre for Infection Control, and Professor Didier Pittet, leader of the Global Patient Safety Challenge.

Al Qutami said, “Healthcare-associated infections cause considerable suffering and in many situations these can be avoided. We want to see action taken to reduce the impact on patients within the UAE public health sector. However, it is everyone’s responsibility to improve hygiene standards throughout the health services.”

“The UAE is the third country in the GCC to have a national inauguration event for the ‘Clean Care is Safer Care’ WHO initiative and also to sign the statement on battling healthcare-associated infections.  Saudi Arabia and Bahrain are the other two. Oman will sign the pledge in December this year,” said Dr Ziad Memish. About 30 countries (and regions) have already signed the statement so far or are planning to do so by the end of this year.

The countries that have already pledged are Bahrain, Belarus, Georgia, Hong Kong, India, Ireland, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Malaysia, Moldova, The Netherlands, The Philippines, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Slovenia, Switzerland, Tajikistan and the UK.