Infection prevention and control (IPC) and water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) in health emergencies 

Infection Prevention and Control (IPC) and Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene (WASH) are critical enablers of safe, scalable, and high-quality health service delivery across all phases of public health and humanitarian emergencies. These pillars ensure the protection of patients, health workers, and communities by preventing health-care-associated infections (HAIs) and reducing the risk of disease transmission in both health care and community settings.

During public health emergencies, the rapid scale-up of health services can strain systems and increase the risk of adverse events. Reinforcing IPC and WASH capacities is essential to maintaining continuity of care, enabling safe clinical scale-up, and mitigating amplification of infectious disease outbreaks. This is particularly crucial in humanitarian settings where basic IPC and WASH systems are often lacking or disrupted.

Beyond health-care facilities, the availability of safe water, sanitation, and hygiene infrastructure is equally vital in community settings, such as schools, internally displaced people and refugee camps, shelters, places of worship, and prisons, to prevent transmission and protect the public.

The IPC and WASH team delivers strategic, technical, and operational support to integrate IPC and WASH into emergency response operations and broader health system strengthening.

Key functions and strategic priorities for WHE IPC and WASH teams

1. Networks and partnerships

WHO leads and coordinates global platforms to align IPC and WASH in the context of health emergency efforts across stakeholders. Key partnerships include:

  • the Global IPC Network (GIPCN) IPC in Public Health Emergencies Working Group (IPC PHE WG), convening over 40 technical experts to support development of guidance documents, response efforts and operational research; 
  • the WHO and UNICEF WASH in Emergencies Network, which supports context-specific WASH interventions during graded emergencies.

    • 2. Country operational support

    WHO supports the strengthening of national readiness and response efforts for IPC and WASH, while ensuring continuity of safe, quality care at all levels of the health system through:

  • strategic, technical and operational guidance for emergency response (including provision of surge deployment if/as required);
  • provision of essential supplies including IPC kits, PPE, and WASH materials; 
  • supporting strategic integration of IPC and WASH into national emergency preparedness and response structures and clinical care pathways.

    • 3. Evidence-based technical products

    WHO develops and disseminates normative and derivative products to guide effective IPC and WASH implementation in emergency settings through:

  • IPC and WASH guidelines for epidemic- and pandemic-prone diseases; 
  • operational tools (e.g. assessment tools) for facility readiness in humanitarian settings.

    • 4. Capacity building

    WHO enables local actors to lead IPC and WASH implementation and ensure sustainability beyond emergency periods through:

  • provision of user-friendly training packages (e.g. OpenWHO courses, job aids, and training-of-trainers materials);
  • in-country and regional training and mentorship programmes;
  • simulation exercises and workshops tailored to high-risk diseases (e.g. Ebola, Marburg, cholera).

    • 5. Research, data, and innovation

    WHO promotes decision-making and quality of care through:

  • operational research to adapt IPC and WASH measures to fragile and low-resource contexts;
  • real-time surveillance tools to monitor health care-associated infections, WASH service delivery, and infection risks; 
  • innovation in IPC/WASH technologies and approaches, especially for mobile and temporary care structures. 

    •  

    Frameworks and guidelines 

    Mpox

    Infographic

    Steps to remove personal protective equipment (PPE) for mpox
    Infographic

    Steps to put on personal protective equipment (PPE) for mpox

     

    Ebola/Marburg

    Infographic

    IPC measures for Ebola and Marburg disease: past and present
    Infographic

    Steps to put on personal protective equipment (PPE) for Ebola/Marburg disease: Gown and headcover
    Infographic

    Steps to remove personal protective equipment (PPE) for Ebola/Marburg disease: Gown and headcover
    Infographic

    Steps to put on personal protective equipment (PPE) for Ebola/Marburg disease: Coverall

     

    COVID-19

     

    Other disease-specific

    WASH

    General guidance and tools

    External publications

    Health and care workers' perceptions of PPE and physical distancing for COVID-19: A qualitative evidence synthesis

    Guidance reconciliation and practice question prioritization for a World Health Organization's Ebola and Marburg Disease guideline

    Efficacy of Disinfectants for Monkeypox Virus Inactivation on High Touch Surface Materials in Low-Resource Settings

    Evolution of WHO COVID-19 mask guidelines amid intense demands for rapid advice

    Infection prevention and control studies for care of patients with suspected or confirmed filovirus disease in healthcare settings, with focus on Ebola and Marburg: an integrative review

    Summary of WHO infection prevention and control guideline for Ebola and Marburg disease: a call for evidence based practice

    From evidence to policy: WHO’s COVID-19 infection prevention and control guideline development process

    Factors influencing mask use and physical distancing for COVID-19: A qualitative evidence synthesis.

    Efficacy of Laundry Practices in Eliminating Mpox Virus From Fabrics

    Factors shaping cleaning and disinfection practices during the COVID-19 pandemic: A qualitative evidence synthesis

    Physical distancing for reducing and mitigating COVID-19 transmission: A rapid review

    Summary of WHO infection prevention and control guideline for covid-19: striving for evidence based practice in infection prevention and control

    Emergency infection prevention and control training in fragile, conflict-affected or vulnerable settings: a scoping review

    Personal protective equipment research and innovation in the context of the World Health Organization COVID-19 R&D Blueprint program