The impact of WASH interventions on AMR
Tracks
Meeting Room 1.40
| Tuesday, July 1, 2025 |
| 5:00 PM - 5:30 PM |
Overview
Speaker: Dr Claire Kilpatrick
Speaker
Dr Claire Kilpatrick
S3 Global
The impact of WASH interventions on AMR
Abstract
Global calls to action for water, sanitation, waste management and hygiene (WASH) in the prevention of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) exist.
WHO’s WASH work, for example, is said to play a critical role in combating AMR. Messages include:
• The Political Declaration from the High-Level Meeting which calls for urgent action.
• Effective, cost-efficient WASH interventions integrated, monitored and funded within AMR National Action Plans (NAPs).
• The 2023 UN General Assembly resolution on 'Sustainable, Safe, and Universal WASH, Waste, and Electricity Services in Health-care Facilities'.
At the World Health Assembly, May 2025, the WHO African region demonstrated commitment to addressing AMR, noting challenges persist with access to clean water remains limited. This despite many countries having WASH and infection prevention standards and action plans.
Current, practical WASH interventions in healthcare include use of the WHO/UNICEF WASH FIT package. However, the evidence to suggest use of this to improve the AMR situation is currently absent. Further country examples and action are therefore deemed to be important.
A short survey was issued in May 2025 to establish the perceptions of people regarding which advocacy resources might help highlight the role of WASH in AMR, including to promote use of data and existing tools.
The current situation and survey results are outlined in order to inform the future of WASH in AMR reduction. It is anticipated that all these findings will inform action through the Hand Hygiene For All Initiative which is supported by a range of international organizations active in this field.
WHO’s WASH work, for example, is said to play a critical role in combating AMR. Messages include:
• The Political Declaration from the High-Level Meeting which calls for urgent action.
• Effective, cost-efficient WASH interventions integrated, monitored and funded within AMR National Action Plans (NAPs).
• The 2023 UN General Assembly resolution on 'Sustainable, Safe, and Universal WASH, Waste, and Electricity Services in Health-care Facilities'.
At the World Health Assembly, May 2025, the WHO African region demonstrated commitment to addressing AMR, noting challenges persist with access to clean water remains limited. This despite many countries having WASH and infection prevention standards and action plans.
Current, practical WASH interventions in healthcare include use of the WHO/UNICEF WASH FIT package. However, the evidence to suggest use of this to improve the AMR situation is currently absent. Further country examples and action are therefore deemed to be important.
A short survey was issued in May 2025 to establish the perceptions of people regarding which advocacy resources might help highlight the role of WASH in AMR, including to promote use of data and existing tools.
The current situation and survey results are outlined in order to inform the future of WASH in AMR reduction. It is anticipated that all these findings will inform action through the Hand Hygiene For All Initiative which is supported by a range of international organizations active in this field.
Biography
Claire is a nurse and graduate of the University of Glasgow with a PG Diploma in infection prevention and control (IPC) and MSc in medical sciences (travel medicine). She was awarded a Doctor of Science (DSc) in IPC, WASH and patient and health worker safety from Glasgow Caledonian University (GCU) in 2023 and is a member of the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons (Glasgow). She has been Director at S3GlobalHealth since 2012 and has vast experience working with WHO (since 2008, global, regional and country level), a range of other international and national agencies, NGOs and academia. As a volunteer, she is a founding board member of the World Surgical Infection Society, an expert advisor to the charity The AMR Narrative, and a subject matter expert on the Safeguarding Health through Infection Prevention (SHIP) research team at GCU. She focuses primarily on implementation and improvement in healthcare and also has experience in global guideline and report writing and national and global campaigning. Past awards include best visual identity in healthcare (Europe) for the WHO hand hygiene global campaign, an innovation award on understanding prevailing hand hygiene in healthcare language, and paper of the year in the Journal of Research in Nursing.
