--- title: "Infection prevention and control implementation during COVID-19 in sub-Saharan Africa: multination" id: "bmj-open-0-infection-prevention-and-control-measures-during-the-covid-19-pandemic-in-sub" canonical_url: "https://medichelpline.com/clinical-feed/bmj-open-0-infection-prevention-and-control-measures-during-the-covid-19-pandemic-in-sub" content_type: "clinical_feed_article" specialty: "Infectious Disease" source_name: "BMJ Open" source_url: "http://bmjopen.bmj.com/cgi/content/short/16/9/e112529?rss=1" published_at: "2026-09-04T11:29:48.000Z" evidence_level: "Journal Feed" license: "CC-BY-NC-4.0 / Informational Use" --- # Infection prevention and control implementation during COVID-19 in sub-Saharan Africa: multination ## Provenance & Clinical Metadata - **Canonical URL:** https://medichelpline.com/clinical-feed/bmj-open-0-infection-prevention-and-control-measures-during-the-covid-19-pandemic-in-sub - **Specialty:** [Infectious Disease](https://medichelpline.com/clinical-feed/infectious-disease.md) - **Primary Source:** BMJ Open - **Source URL:** [Original Journal Publication](http://bmjopen.bmj.com/cgi/content/short/16/9/e112529?rss=1) - **Published At:** 2026-09-04T11:29:48.000Z - **Evidence Rating:** Journal Feed ## Executive GIST (TL;DR) - This multinational cross-sectional study (Feb–Nov 2022) surveyed 6,749 healthcare workers (HCWs) at 324 healthcare facilities (HCFs) across Côte d'Ivoire, Democratic Republic of Congo, Madagascar and Nigeria to assess implementation of **infection prevention and control (IPC)** measures during the COVID-19 pandemic. - Facilities included primary non-hospitals through tertiary HCFs; reported presence of IPC programmes varied by level, from 51.4% at primary non-hospitals to 83.3% at tertiary HCFs. - Over half of HCFs (57.4%) reported no patient or HCW screening for COVID-19; only 19.8% reported availability of handrub at point of care in every room. - Of 6,749 HCWs, 54.0% worked in high-risk patient care areas. Reported sufficient availability favored masks (62.7%) over respirators (28.5%). - Multivariable modelling showed HCW compliance with **hand hygiene** and **mask wearing** was associated with presence of an IPC programme (OR 1.3 and 1.4), IPC training for the HCW (OR 1.5 and 1.3), and availability of handrub and masks (handrub OR 5.9; masks OR 2.3). - The study highlights critical gaps in IPC programmes, screening, and access to IPC materials in low-resource settings that likely hinder HCW adherence to recommended practices. - Authors conclude that strengthening institutional IPC programmes and ensuring reliable access to equipment and materials are essential to improve infection control and pandemic preparedness in these settings. ## Clinical Analysis & Structured Key Points Objectives To assess the implementation of infection prevention and control (IPC) measures and associated factors in healthcare in low-resource settings during the COVID-19 pandemic. Design Multinational cross-sectional study. Setting The study was conducted from February to November 2022 in Côte d'Ivoire, Democratic Republic of Congo, Madagascar and Nigeria. Participants A total of 6749 healthcare workers (HCWs) at 324 healthcare facilities (HCFs) were enrolled from different levels of care and types. Primary and secondary outcomes Standardised HCW and HCF questionnaires assessed COVID-19-related exposures and IPC measures and descriptive analyses were conducted overall and by country and HCF. Partial proportional odds models were used to assess factors associated with HCW compliance to hand hygiene and mask wearing. Results Among 324 HCFs, the reported presence of IPC programmes ranged from 51.4% (n=111) at primary non-hospitals to 83.3% (n=18) at tertiary HCFs. More than half reported no patient or HCW screening (57.4%, n=186). Only 19.8% (n=64) reported handrub at point of care in every room. Among 6749 enrolled HCWs, 54.0% were working in high-risk patient care. More HCWs reported sufficient availability of masks (62.7%, n=4231) compared with respirators (28.5%, n=1926). HCW compliance with hand hygiene and mask wearing, respectively, was improved by presence of an IPC programme (OR: 1.3, 95% CI 1.2 to 1.5; OR: 1.4, 95% CI 1.2 to 1.6), IPC training received by the HCW (OR: 1.5, 95% CI 1.3 to 1.7; OR: 1.3, 95% CI 1.2 to 1.5) and availability of handrub and masks, respectively (OR: 5.9, 95% CI 4.1 to 8.4; OR: 2.3, 95% CI 2.0 to 2.7). Conclusions We conducted a large survey including HCFs across levels of care and type in urban and rural regions in sub-Saharan Africa. Critical gaps in IPC programmes and access to IPC equipment during the COVID-19 pandemic hindered HCW compliance with recommended IPC practices. To improve general infection control and pandemic preparedness in low-resource settings, continued focus on strengthening IPC programmes and ensuring access to materials/equipment is essential. ## Related Clinical Research - [WHO validates Bhutan for eliminating dog-transmitted human rabies](https://medichelpline.com/clinical-feed/who-0-0-who-validates-bhutan-for-eliminating-dog-transmitted-human-rabies.md) - [Hepatitis C Prevalence and Care Barriers in Adults with Serious Mental Illness: Updated Systematic](https://medichelpline.com/clinical-feed/bmj-open-6-pooled-prevalence-risk-factors-and-barriers-to-care-for-hepatitis-c-virus-hcv.md) - [WHO validates Timor-Leste’s elimination of trachoma as a public health problem](https://medichelpline.com/clinical-feed/who-0-0-who-validates-timor-leste-s-elimination-of-trachoma-as-a-public-health-problem.md) - [Pre-existing Multidimensional Immune Signature Predicts Omicron Infection Risk in Vaccinated Indiv](https://medichelpline.com/clinical-feed/medrxiv-0-a-multidimensional-immune-signature-predicts-susceptibility-to-omicron.md) - [Fauci on pandemic memory: selective amnesia and its effect on views of masking and lockdowns](https://medichelpline.com/clinical-feed/stat-news-1-stat-fauci-speaks-and-writes.md) ## Navigation - [← Back to Infectious Disease Feed](https://medichelpline.com/clinical-feed/infectious-disease.md) - [← All Clinical Specialties](https://medichelpline.com/clinical-feed.md) ## Medical & Regulatory Disclaimer > [!CAUTION] > MedicHelpline content is structured for research, educational, and professional discovery purposes. 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