Waqar Naseem Wamiq, Riyadh – IHMEC is a project connecting professionals in planning, designing, building and furnishing indoor hygiene spaces to form solutions that are breaking the infection chain on touchable surfaces, on indoor air and in drinking water.
IHMEC is supported by the EU Interreg Central Baltic program, and it brings together relevant clusters from Finland, Sweden and Estonia who can offer new and tailor-made IH solutions.
One of the biggest threats to global health today is antimicrobial resistance. A growing number of infections – such as pneumonia, tuberculosis, gonorrhea, and salmonellosis – are becoming harder to treat as the antibiotics used to treat them become less effective.
The combination of globalization of both people and goods enables the global spreading of these harmful infections. Additionally, healthcare-associated infections (HAI) are a major threat to patient safety. Traditional means of good hygiene are no longer sufficient.
New solutions are desperately needed to prevent the global spreading of serious infections.
Finland is a global pioneer in creating and implementing instructions on indoor hygiene.
Existing long-term co-operation with researchers and companies has resulted in unique know-how in indoor hygiene solutions in Finland. One result of the academic-industry co-operation is the first and only existing Indoor Hygiene Guidelines, which can be applied in e.g. healthcare facilities to prevent infections from spreading.
IHMEC is taking part in the Global Health Exhibition in Riyadh 10-12 September to share the knowledge of infection prevention and control with the built environment. The Indoor Hygiene Guidelines and solutions, together with new antimicrobial materials, offer new ideas to transmission prevention measures and enable sustainable investments.
Through collaboration, the Indoor Hygiene Guidelines could be adjusted according to the national regulations of the KSA. One of the objectives of the Saudi Vision 2030 is to increase the capacity to welcome Umrah & Hajj visitors from 8 million to 30 million every year.
It is important to improve the level of infection control to reduce the incidence of infection through effective sanitation, hygiene and prevention measures.
Combining the excellent know-how in health care sectors in Finland and the KSA together with the innovative new concept of indoor hygiene is the starting point of a mutually beneficial co-operation, both practical and scientific.
IHMEC concept level solution can help KSA in the infection prevention program, not only in healthcare facilities but also in mass gatherings like Pilgrimage. The topic fits beautifully the Vision 2030 and the well-known interest of Saudi Arabia in developing the health of their residents.