Accra:Primary Health Care Corporation (PHCC) is celebrating International Infection Prevention Week (IIPW) from October 18 to 24, 2026, focusing on the theme “Generations of Infection Prevention | Past. Present. Protected.”
According to Qatar News Agency, the theme highlights the evolution of infection prevention, emphasizing practices passed through generations, contemporary scientific applications, and future protection methods for patients, healthcare workers, and communities.
The organizing committee aims to raise awareness about basic infection prevention and control practices among healthcare workers and visitors. They also seek to promote hand hygiene, cough etiquette, environmental disinfection, and other daily practices. Additionally, the campaign will link Islamic medical heritage with modern practices, encourage disease surveillance and early reporting, and provide accessible awareness content through health centers and social media.
Dr. Khalid Elawad, Manager of Health Protection at PHCC, stressed that infection prevention and control are crucial for patient safety and healthcare quality. He noted that PHCC’s involvement in IIPW helps spread awareness among health centers, employees, patients, and visitors, encouraging preventive practices in daily life.
Dr. Elawad elaborated that infection prevention is a historical journey, evolving from basic hygiene and isolation to a comprehensive system for individual and community protection. PHCC’s infection prevention program includes standard precautions like hand hygiene, proper use of personal protective equipment, safe injections, environmental cleaning, waste management, and ongoing education for all.
PHCC health centers will host a range of educational and interactive activities for employees, patients, visitors, school students, and Home Health Care Services recipients. These include lectures, workshops, competitions, daily presentations, and interactive activities promoting preventive behaviors. The School Health Department and Home Health Care Services will collaborate to extend outreach to schools and homes.
The program will deliver daily awareness messages on hand hygiene, cough and sneeze etiquette, vaccination, safe injection practices, personal protective equipment use, and environmental hygiene. These messages will appear on screens in health centers, corridors, and waiting areas. PHCC will also distribute awareness cards in Arabic and English through official channels and social media, while staff will receive daily emails. Feedback from patients and visitors will be collected to assess the campaign’s impact and improve future initiatives.