PSI once again welcomes the global action plan for infection prevention and control. We urge Member States to commit adequate funding for the provision of clean water and sanitary conditions in health facilities in the plan, and support for LMICs to build institutional capacity for disease surveillance, national public health standards and quality assurance.
We also recall health workers' demands for the application of the precautionary principle for IPC guidelines during the pandemic and call on Member States to accommodate this principle in the plan to safeguard health workers’ lives.
Towards full realisation of the Big Catch-Up initiative’s aim of restoring essential immunisation in the wake of COVID-19, we urge Member States to invest in and engage with the health workforce.