National Infection Control Policy

The Ministry of Health established the first national policy for Infection Control (IC) in Cambodia and it has been developed through the collaborative efforts of many stakeholders in infection control development. It has relied heavily on the input and contributions from many key people involved in infection control.

Over the years an increased flow of resources for IC development through some NGOs and UN agencies has been observed. This welcome support however, has remained uncoordinated leading to the misallocation of resources to non-priority areas resulting in very poor infection control practices in most health care facilities throughout the country.

The development of this policy seeks to address these challenges. In particular it will provide a road map for all actors and facilitate the channeling of resources to national priority areas. It will provide the much needed framework for IC development in Cambodia.
 
Although IC represents only one key component of patient safety and quality assurance, the provision of good clinical care for most diseases requires good infection control practices. Good IC practices will reduce the length of hospital stays, the incidence of long-term disabilities and treatment costs while
improving adult and infant mortality rates and helping prevent antimicrobial resistance.
 
To strengthen IC practices a clear structure within the Ministry of Health, Provincial Health Department and health care facilities is needed. The National Infection Control Policy outlines the key areas that require improvement and defines strategic priorities to enable the goal of better IC practices in the country to be realized. It will also be used as a concrete foundation for building up safety in health care facilities in parallel with the national strategic plan and other pillar activities. As far as possible the policy has aligned itself with the priorities identified in the National Health Sector Strategic Plan.

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