Analyzing infection prevention and control program in Egyptian university hospitals: strengths and areas for improvement

Abstract Background Healthcare-associated infections are a major global health problem. Published international guidelines aim to provide technical support for countries and healthcare facilities to implement efficient infection prevention and control (IPC) programs and evaluate them. Aim This study aims to evaluate Egyptian university hospitals’ current IPC program and activities status, using an international standardized tool. Afterwards, the identification of existing strengths and weaknesses of the IPC program is needed for improvement. Method A cross-sectional study design using a convenience sample to assess the implementation of the IPC program at 26 healthcare facilities running the IPC activities for at least 5 years, amounting to > 11,000 beds, from four selected Egyptian Universities. The WHO IPCAF assessment tool and scoring were used to assess the level of compliance for each core component. Results The weighted median of participating facilities was 600 ( IQR = 571.25–646.88). The arithmetic mean of participating facilities was 587.19. None of the studied facilities had an inadequate level of IPC, and (50%) of facilities showed an advanced level. IPC guidelines had the highest mean score (83.46%), followed by the IPC program (76.73%). On the other hand, the multimodal strategies in IPC had the lowest mean score (65.57%) following the IPC training and education (69.23%). Conclusion Although the IPC program is appropriately implemented in the studied hospitals, some challenges exist, and enhancement of multidisciplinary integration optimizes multimodal IPC strategies, implementation of antimicrobial stewardship, training programs, and monitoring and feedback systems are required.