Healthcare-associated infections (HAIs) are infections that patients acquire while receiving treatment for medical or surgical conditions within a healthcare setting.
The Nigerian government has said the healthcare system is grappling with a substantial financial burden caused by the prevalence of healthcare-associated infections (HAIs).
The Coordinator of the National Infection Prevention and Control Programme at the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC), Tochi Okwor, revealed this on Monday at the inauguration of the national IPC Technical Working Group (IPC TWG) in Abuja.
Mrs Okwo, who referenced a report by WaterAid Nigeria, noted that the high prevalence of HAIs has been estimated to cost $4.5 billion in 2023, about N7.2 trillion based on the foreign exchange rate of N1,620 to a dollar as of Tuesday.
HAIs are infections that patients acquire while receiving treatment for medical or surgical conditions within a healthcare setting.
These infections can occur during procedures, from the use of medical devices, or due to the transmission of pathogens in healthcare environments.
According to Mrs Okwor, healthcare seekers are highly prone to HAIs in hospitals and primary health centres due to low levels of prevention and control in hospitals.
Some common types of HAIs include surgical site infections, catheter-associated urinary tract infections, bloodstream infections, and ventilator-associated pneumonia.
Mrs Okwor said the prevalence of HAIs has gulped 3.8 per cent of the total healthcare expenditure for the health sector in 2023.
She also said estimates showed that the economic cost of such infections is about 0.94 per cent of the country's GDP.
She said: "We know that healthcare-associated infections are those avoidable harms that result from healthcare when infection prevention and control is not optimal in hospitals. But we carry a high burden of community-acquired infection as well.
"The total economic cost of healthcare-associated infections in Nigeria has been estimated to be up to 4.5 billion dollars in 2023. And the cost of these healthcare-associated infections as a percentage of our GDP.
"The cost of treating these infections as a proportion of our total healthcare expenditure in 2023 has been estimated to be 3.8 per cent".
Importance of prevention and control
Confirming this, the Director of Public Health, Ministry of Health, Chukuma Anyadike, described infection prevention and control as the cornerstone of public health and the "bedrock upon which a resilient health system is built."
Mr Anyadike said no patient should be infected while receiving healthcare and health workers are also at the risk of infection while providing care, adding that infection prevention and control must be prioritised.
He also noted that IPC offers a proven solution to mitigate harm and avoid incalculable suffering and costs to people and the health system.
He said: "Compelling evidence shows that up to 70 per cent of healthcare-associated infections can be prevented by implementing effective IPC interventions. Investing in IPC is one of the most cost-effective measures available."
Mr Anyadike said IPC serves as the first line of defence against the spread of infectious disease by protecting patients, healthcare workers, and the community.
"For instance, improving hand hygiene in healthcare settings can more than halve the risk of dying from infections with resistant pathogens and decrease long-term complications and health burdens by at least 40%. Every dollar invested in improving hand hygiene can save about US$ 16.50 in reduced healthcare expenditure."
Govt efforts
As part of the effort to reduce the prevalence of HAIs, the public health director said, authorities in the sector have developed a national IPC manual and disease with specific guidelines for healthcare workers.
He said these manuals have been adopted by states and disseminated to selected secondary health facilities and primary healthcare centres.
In collaboration with the College of Medicine, University of Lagos, and the Infection Control Africa Network, the government has also trained over 100 IPC focal persons to become IPC professionals working at health facilities nationwide.
Mr Anyadike said: "Over the last decade, significant outbreaks of diseases such as Ebola, Lassa fever, cerebrospinal meningitis, diphtheria, cholera, and the COVID-19 pandemic have demonstrated how rapidly infections can spread through communities and be amplified in healthcare settings.
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"These events have exposed gaps in our IPC programme and highlighted the necessity for comprehensive infection prevention and antimicrobial resistance (AMR) strategies."
The Technical Working Group was created to ensure adequate implementation of the IPC, according to the Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Muhammad Pate.
Mr Pate, represented by the NCDC DG, Jide Idris, said the inauguration of the unit is an integral part of the national plan for the health sector under the current administration.
He said the establishment of the TWG also aligns with the Global Action Plan on Infection Prevention and Control 2024-2030, which the World Health Assembly recently approved.
"Having a national IPC Technical Working Group is an important national-level indicator to track the National implementation of the Global Action Plan on IPC."
He added Nigeria has demonstrated leadership in infection prevention and control and is setting a precedent for other countries to follow with this new development.
