Malawi Moves to Strengthen Patient Safety through Adaptation of WHO HAI Guidelines “Tackling Health Care-Associated Infections and Antimicrobial Resistance in Malawi”

Health care-associated infections (HAIs) remain a critical challenge in low- and middle-income countries. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), 15% of hospitalized patients in developing countries acquire at least one HAI during their hospital stay. These infections result in prolonged hospital stays, increased costs, higher patient mortality, and significant pressure on healthcare systems.

In Malawi, the true burden of HAIs remains largely unknown due to the absence of surveillance systems, limited laboratory capacity, lack of national guidelines, and low health worker awareness. In response, the Ministry of Health, with technical support from the East, Central and Southern Africa Health Community (ECSA-HC), WHO, is set to adapt the WHO Health Care-Associated Infections (HAI) Handbook. This important initiative will also incorporate protocols for the prevention, detection, and reporting of Multidrug-Resistant Organisms (MDROs).

Purpose of the Adaptation Workshop

The national adaptation workshop is being held from 21^st to 25^th July 2025 at Victoria Hotel, Blantyre. The workshop aims to develop a practical, locally relevant protocol aligned with the Health Sector Strategic Plan III (HSSP III) and address critical issues including: Strengthening infection prevention and control (IPC), Establishing HAIs and MDRO surveillance mechanisms, improving healthcare worker practices and reporting systems, Supporting implementation of WHO’s AMR and IPC standards

Objectives of the Workshop

1. Review and Adapt WHO HAI Guidelines to suit the Malawian healthcare context
2. Integrate MDRO prevention, detection, and reporting in the national protocol
3. Gather stakeholder input from across the health system for ownership and alignment
4. Share current practices and lessons learned on AMR and HAI surveillance
5. Strengthen linkages with the Public Health Institute’s AMR Coordinating Centre (AMRCC)

The Workshop Outcomes

The workshop is expected to result in a nationally endorsed protocol for Health Care-Associated Infections (HAIs) and Multidrug-Resistant Organisms (MDROs), which will strengthen surveillance and response systems, improve healthcare workers’ compliance with infection prevention and control (IPC) standards, foster greater stakeholder collaboration across the health sector, and enhance Malawi’s alignment with key Joint External Evaluation (JEE) core capacities, specifically P4.3 on MDRO prevention and R4.2 on HAI surveillance.