The World Health Organization (WHO) has commended the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia for its exceptional performance in hospital quality and infection control, recognizing it as a global leader in reducing healthcare-associated risks, according to a recent report published on its official website.
The report highlighted the Kingdom's significant achievements in infection prevention and control, particularly in reducing central line-associated bloodstream infections (CLABSIs) in intensive care units. Between 2021 and 2024, the Kingdom achieved an annual 48.8% decrease in CLABSI cases, which marks a fourfold reduction over four years.
The WHO report stated that the distinctive efficiency of Kingdom’s health facilities in combating and preventing infection comes as a result of the efforts made to reduce infection in health facilities, most notably the national strategy launched by the Ministry of Health in 2022, to reduce the rates of bloodstream infection associated with central catheters.
The WHO report praised these efforts reflecting the Kingdom’s commitment to strengthening prevention against health risks and raising the quality of health services. The organization also noted a broader reduction in healthcare-associated infections across the Kingdom, attributing it to the training of over 5,000 health practitioners in infection control practices.
It is worth noting that this strategy comes within the context of the Ministry of Health’s efforts to implement the highest quality standards in healthcare, and the facilities’ contribution to improving patient care and reducing the risks of infection that may occur in healthcare facilities as a result of the nature of their work, which achieves the goals of the health sector transformation within the Kingdom’s Vision 2030 in enhancing prevention against health risks.