Networking hospital infection control in 10 countries in Southeast Europe

ISSUE: The Research Priorities Project (AJIC 2001) identified establishing infection control (IC) networks as a top priority for global infection control. Communication, education at many levels, training materials, and national cultures must be integrated in a project plan that optimizes the strengths within the network. We report our success in establishing such a network among 10 countries with separate languages and training, and little history of cooperation. The countries in Southeast Europe (Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Greece, Hungary, UNMI Kosovo, Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Romania, and Slovenia) are very different in terms of development of hospital infection control. Some have very advanced programs, and some are at the beginnings. PROJECT: Starting in autumn 2002, a Croatian planning committee (begun as an International Federation of Infection Control, of IFIC, project) established English-language communication with all other participants via e-mail, fax, telephone, local meetings, and hospital visits. Goals were to maximize communication; to organize several international conferences planned by the SE Europe IC network including the 5th IFIC Congress in Porec, Croatia; to translate important documents to local languages; to plan and conduct two surveys in participating countries; to develop an education model based on the results of the surveys; and to determine whether networking between the countries would increase the number of hospital infection control programs in the whole region. RESULTS: The first goals are met: a network of professionals in hospital infection control in the region; a big IFIC Congress in 2004; three national conferences with mutual participation; two hospital visits; one educational exchange; translation of IFIC Basic Concepts in Infection Control into local languages (one completed and three in process); founding of one national hospital infection control society; two national societies becoming members in IFIC and a third in process; and organization of one national hospital infection control reference center. LESSONS LEARNED: Regional networks may be the most economical and useful method for enhancing infection control. The project methods were valuable and hold great promise for use in other regions. Cooperative education courses, workshops, and research will be challenging, primarily because of the language barriers and the lack of funds.