Zimbabwe has launched a healthcare TB infection control project aimed at reducing the risk of healthcare workers from contracting the deadly disease in healthcare facilities and the community.
Officially launching the project dubbed Healthcare Associated Tuberculosis Infection Prevention Project in Zimbabwe (HATIPP-Zim) in Harare, National PMTCT and Paediatric HIV Care and Treatment Coordinator, Dr Angela Mushavi who was standing in for the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Health and Child Care, Dr Gerald Gwinji, said recent reviews have shown that healthcare workers are at increased risk of contracting infections as well as developing the disease.
“This occupational risk is at alarming proportions in the low and middle income countries because of increased exposure and lack of preventive measures
“Many healthcare facilities in low income countries lack resources to prevent the spread of TB and other healthcare associated infections but there is still a need to strengthen policies and guidelines and control TB transmission among healthcare workers,” said Mushavi.
She added that the Ministry of Health and Child Care minimising the risk of infections is key to ensuring safety in healthcare settings.
“The Ministry of Health and Child Care Infection Prevention and control policy and strategic plan recommends that healthcare workers be screened annually for TB infections. HATIPP will support such process working with national healthcare workers TB screening policy and standardised implementation at health facilities through strengthening occupational healthcare,” said Mushavi.
Laurie Fuller Acting Country Director of Centre for Disease Control, said the absence of TB infection control (TBIC) practices has led to outbreaks of drug-susceptible and drug-resistant TB in both in patient and outpatients settings.
“Research in Zimbabwe and everywhere has demonstrated that healthcare workers have a higher incidence of TB than the general population
“Nevertheless, healthcare workers screening and surveillance is largely absent in thousands of facilities across the 22 high burden TB countries as designated by WHO (including Zimbabwe),” said Fuller.
She added that HATIPP-Zim seeks to address this challenge by exploring the option of embedding TB screening within an occupational health framework.
The project will be implemented by a consortium of three organisations namely The Union, Biomedical Research and Training Institute (BRTI) and Infection Control Association of Zimbabwe (ICAZ), through funding from the President Emergency Plan for Aids Relief PEPFAR.
