Infection prevention and control (IPC) and water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) are central to public health emergencies, including outbreak response and containment. IPC also constitutes the foundations of safe essential health services and resilient communities and health systems, ensuring quality care, and protecting against healthcare associated infections and anti-microbial resistance. The success of ensuring IPC measures are implemented for outbreak response, in health facilities and communities, is dependent upon maintaining IPC operational readiness to rapidly respond to cases and putting in place at least the IPC minimum requirements at the national and health care facility levels as soon as possible. Over the past decade, the landscape of respiratory viruses has evolved significantly, exemplified by the profound impact of the recent COVID-19 pandemic. WHE IPC and WASH team is undertaking an update of the 2014 guideline titled Infection prevention and control of epidemic-and pandemic prone acute respiratory infections in health care. Updating of this guideline will adhere to the highest international standards for guideline development, including the use of GRADE and the evidence to decision making process and be developed by the below panel of persons.
The role of the IPC-ARI-GDG is to: