Health Ministry develops a National IPC Work Plan

Press Release

25/08/2022

Health Ministry develops a National IPC Work Plan.

The objective of the National Infection Prevention and Control (IPC) Work plan workshop is to prioritise activities and outcomes that the Ministry intends to achieve in the next 5 years. This 2 days workshop commenced this morning at the Tanoa Waterfront Hotel in Lautoka with key officials with leadership roles from the four medical divisions in Fiji.

Facilitating the discussions, are the SPC IPC advisor, Ms. Margaret Leong and SPCs short-term consultant Ms. Min Tanuvasa Lene, who have highlighted that Fiji needs to adopt its own strategies from the WHO guidelines as you plan to strengthen IPC program as part of building a more resilient health system.

The COVID-19 pandemic has shown the devastating consequences of a lack of preparedness and substandard/insufficient infection prevention programmes even in high-income countries, bringing IPC to the forefront of health work.

It then becomes absolutely vital for Fijian health staff to be fully trained and resourced on IPC to address infection transmission in hospital settings.

More importantly, this two-day program will focus on activities for the 8 core components like developing the important role of the hospital infection control committees to efficiently monitor the IPC programs at all levels of care and gain support for the IPC structures.

The IPC reaffirms the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development Goal and its target which is universal, indivisible, and interlinked to reducing global maternal mortality on ending preventable deaths.

The Ministry further acknowledges the funding support, co-shared by World Bank, Pacific Community and MHMS.