Washington, D.C.:

Health authorities from the Caribbean say they will work to reduce health care-associated infections through a series of actions that include getting healthcare providers to improve hand hygiene.

Ministers of health and delegates from 14 Caribbean countries signed a declaration at the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) on Saturday pledging support for the First Global Patient Safety Challenge: 'Clean Care is Safer Care', an initiative of the World Alliance for Patient Safety - World Health Organisation (WHO).

The ministers and delegates are among dozens of top health authorities now in Washington, D.C., for the 27th Pan American Sanitary Conference, which takes place October 1 to 5 at PAHO headquarters.

Infections acquired in health care settings are a major public health problem worldwide, with some 1.4 million people suffering from them at any given time. In the United States, an estimated one in 135 patients contract an infection in the hospital or other healthcare facility.

Though fewer data are available for developing countries, the risk is estimated to be two to 20 times higher there than in the developing world.

In addition to human suffering, these infections increase healthcare costs and contribute to growing antimicrobial resistance.

To address the problem, the WHO World Alliance for Patient Safety launched its Global Patient Safety Challenge: Clean Care is Safer Care to promote improvements in blood safety, injection practices, water and sanitation, safety of clinical procedures, and hand hygiene. The hand hygiene component is based on the WHO Guidelines for Hand Hygiene, which emphasize the systematic use of alcohol-based hand rubs by healthcare workers before and after contact with patients. The guidelines are currently being implemented in Costa Rica, with support from PAHO and the World Alliance for Patient Safety.