Infection prevention and control in conflict-affected areas in northeast Syria: A cross-sectional study

In northeastern Syria (NES), the adherence of health care facilities to infection prevention and control (IPC) standards remains underexplored. This study evaluates the IPC performance of various health facilities against World Health Organization (WHO) benchmarks using the IPC Assessment Framework (IPCAF) and the Hand Hygiene Self-Assessment Framework (HHSAF).

We conducted a cross-sectional survey of 33 health care facilities, including primary (PHC), secondary (SHC), and tertiary health care centres (THC). Data were collected via on-site evaluations using the IPCAF and HHSAF tools.

A significant 91% of facilities did not meet half of the WHO IPC minimum requirements. Specifically, 57% of PHCs met 26-50% of the standards, while none exceeded 75%. Among SHCs, 71% met 26-50% of the standards, while 44% of THCs fell within this range. Notably, 81.8% of facilities were classified as 'inadequate' per the IPCAF, with none achieving 'intermediate' or 'advanced' levels. The HHSAF results were similarly concerning, with 34.4% deemed 'inadequate' and 65.6% at the 'basic' level. A weak positive correlation (0.137) was found between IPCAF and HHSAF scores.

NES health care facilities demonstrate substantial deficiencies in IPC compliance, with critical gaps in IPC programmes, health care-associated infection surveillance, and training. Urgent interventions are required to enhance IPC practices, leveraging local strengths and fostering international collaborations to improve patient safety and health care quality in the region.