These guidelines provide recommendations that outline the critical aspects of infection prevention and control. The recommendations were developed using the best available evidence and consensus methods by the Infection Control Steering Committee. They have been prioritised as key areas to prevent and control infection in a healthcare facility. It is recognised that the level of risk may differ according to the different types of facility and therefore some recommendations should be justified by risk assessment. When implementing these recommendations all healthcare facilities need to consider the risk of transmission of infection and implement according to their specific setting and circumstances.

When communities face complex public health emergencies, state local, tribal, and territorial public health agencies must make difficult decisions regarding how to effectively respond. The public health emergency preparedness and response (PHEPR) system, with its multifaceted mission to prevent, protect against, quickly respond to, and recover from public health emergencies, is inherently complex and encompasses policies, organizations, and programs. Since the events of September 11, 2001, the United States has invested billions of dollars and immeasurable amounts of human capital to develop and enhance public health emergency preparedness and infrastructure to respond to a wide range of public health threats, including infectious diseases, natural disasters, and chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear events. Despite the investments in research and the growing body of empirical literature on a range of preparedness and response capabilities and functions, there has been no national-level, comprehensive review and grading of evidence for public health emergency preparedness and response practices comparable to those utilized in medicine and other public health fields. Evidence-Based Practice for Public Health Emergency Preparedness and Response reviews the state of the evidence on PHEPR practices and the improvements necessary to move the field forward and to strengthen the PHEPR system. This publication evaluates PHEPR evidence to understand the balance of benefits and harms of PHEPR practices, with a focus on four main areas of PHEPR: engagement with and training of community-based partners to improve the outcomes of at-risk populations after public health emergencies; activation of a public health emergency operations center; communication of public health alerts and guidance to technical audiences during a public health emergency; and implementation of quarantine to reduce the spread of contagious illness.

Health care-associated infections (HAI) are one of the most common adverse events in care delivery and a major public health problem with an impact on morbidity, mortality and quality of life. At any one time, up to 7% of patients in developed and 10% in developing countries will acquire at least one HAI. These infections also present a significant economic burden at the societal level. However, a large percentage are preventable through effective infection prevention and control (IPC) measures. These new guidelines on the core components of IPC programmes at the national and facility level will enhance the capacity of Member States to develop and implement effective technical and behaviour modifying interventions. They form a key part of WHO strategies to prevent current and future threats from infectious diseases such as Ebola, strengthen health service resilience, help combat antimicrobial resistance (AMR) and improve the overall quality of health care delivery. They are also intended to support countries in the development of their own national protocols for IPC and AMR action plans and to support health care facilities as they develop or strengthen their own approaches to IPC. These are the first international evidence-based guidelines on the core components of IPC programmes. These new WHO guidelines are applicable for any country and suitable to local adaptations, and take account of the strength of available scientific evidence, the cost and resource implications, and patient values and preferences.

Developed by WHO and the International Committee of the Red Cross, in collaboration with the International Federation for Emergency Medicine, "Basic Emergency Care (BEC): Approach to the acutely ill and injured" is an open-access training course for frontline healthcare providers who manage acute illness and injury with limited resources.BEC teaches a systematic approach to the initial assessment and management of time-sensitive conditions where early intervention saves lives. It includes modules on: the ABCDE and SAMPLE history approach, trauma, difficulty in breathing, shock, and altered mental status. The practical skills section covers the essential time-sensitive interventions for these key acute presentations.The BEC package includes a Participant Workbook and electronic slide decks for each module. BEC integrates the guidance from WHO Emergency Triage, Assessment and Treatment (ETAT) for children, WHO Pocket Book of Hospital Care for Children, WHO Integrated Management of Pregnancy and Childbirth and the Integrated Management of Adult/Adolescent Illness (IMAI).

The Pocket Book is for use by doctors nurses and other health workers who are responsible for the care of young children at the first level referral hospitals. This second edition is based on evidence from several WHO updated and published clinical guidelines. It is for use in both inpatient and outpatient care in small hospitals with basic laboratory facilities and essential medicines. In some settings these guidelines can be used in any facilities where sick children are admitted for inpatient care. The Pocket Book is one of a series of documents and tools that support the Integrated Managem.

The new WHO guidelines provide recommended steps for safe phlebotomy and reiterate accepted principles for drawing, collecting blood and transporting blood to laboratories/blood banks. The main areas covered by the toolkit are: 1. bloodborne pathogens transmitted through unsafe injection practices;2. relevant elements of standard precautions and associated barrier protection;3. best injection and related infection prevention and control practices;4. occupational risk factors and their management.

This operational guide addresses important infection prevention and control (IPC) measures that should be implemented during a diphtheria outbreak and primarily addresses respiratory Corynebacterium diphtheriae (C. diphtheria). IPC measures are based on the principles of standard and transmission-based precautions. When implemented effectively, IPC measures can prevent or control transmission, keeping patients, health and care workers and visitors/caregivers safe. Key advice in this guide includes ensuring health and care workers are vaccinated with diphtheria toxoid-containing vaccines; isolating suspected or confirmed cases in well-ventilated single rooms and utilizing droplet precautions with additional personal protective equipment (PPE) based on risk-assessment when maintaining a distance of 1 meter is not possible; and ensuring visitors or caregivers also adhere to PPE requirements and receive proper instructions on hand hygiene and PPE usage. Accompanying the operational guide is a one-page summary.