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National Infection Control Week 2024

The following information is being shared early to facilitate awareness and planning for National Infection Control Week, observed in Canada this year on October 14th to 18th 2024.

The week serves as a reminder of the critical importance of infection prevention and control (IPC) in safeguarding people in health-care settings.

Thank you to our partners.

PICNet would like to take this opportunity to recognize the provincial IPC Community of Practice and all health-care workers, for their dedication and hard work in advancing IPC practices to keep everyone safe. Our collective provincial IPC success is built on the strength of our multi-disciplinary partnerships in BC. These partnerships include professionals in IPC, workplace health and safety, and public health in the health authorities, the provincial Ministry of Health, and the BC Centre for Disease Control (BCCDC), along with additional subject matter experts. Collectively we aim for a cohesive and comprehensive approach to infection prevention.

Our recent collaborations include:

  • Publishing an internal respiratory illness surveillance dashboard in collaboration with the provincial Surveillance Working Group and the BCCDC, to provide timely monitoring of respiratory illnesses in acute care settings.
  • Strengthening Carbapenemase Producing Organisms (CPO) related IPC measures and surveillance activities by hosting various symposiums to enhance our provincial approach and co-create provincial resources.
  • Standardizing surveillance practices and improving the reporting of healthcare-associated infections to inform IPC strategies and policy decisions in partnership with the provincial Surveillance Working Group.
  • Leading a High Threat Pathogens IPC Sub-Working Group to inform the revisions and new development of provincial high threat pathogen IPC guidance and resources.
  • Directing the Provincial Hand Hygiene Working Group to advance hand hygiene practices and inform the revisions and development of provincial hand hygiene best practice guidelines and resources.
  • Leading the Aerosol Generating Medical Procedures (AGMP) Working Groups to inform and develop provincial AGMP classification and guidance related to COVID-19.
  • Leading a Reprocessing Guidelines Task Group to inform the revision and development of provincial IPC best practice guidelines for the reprocessing of semi-critical and critical devices.

By working together with our partners, we strive to create safer health-care environments for everyone and improve patient outcomes.

Let’s continue to work together to make a difference in infection prevention and control.

IPC Week Resources

To commemorate National Infection Prevention and Control Week, we have made a variety of resources available on our website. These resources are designed to help you celebrate the week and enhance your IPC practices. Visit these pages to view and download the following IPC resources:

For questions or for more information, please contact picnet@phsa.ca.