Creative Commons Attribution LicenseFofanah, Bobson DerrickAbrahamyan, ArpineMaruta, AnnaKallon, ChristianaThekkur, PruthuKamara, Ibrahim FranklynNjuguna, Charles KuriaSquire, James SylvesterKanu, Joseph SamBah, Abdulai JawoLakoh, SulaimanKamara, DaudaHermans, VeerleZachariah, Rony2022-05-162022-05-162022-05-06Fofanah, B.D., Abrahamyan, A., Maruta, A., Kallon, C., Thekkur, P., Kamara, I.F., Njuguna, C.K., Squire, J.S., Kanu, J.S., Bah, A.J., Lakoh, S., Kamara, D., Hermans, V. and Zachariah, R. (2022) ‘Achieving minimum standards for infection prevention and control in Sierra Leone: urgent need for a quantum leap in progress in the Covid-19 era!’, International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 19(9), p. 5642. Available at: https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph19095642.1660-4601https://eresearch.qmu.ac.uk/handle/20.500.12289/12223https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph19095642From MDPI via Jisc Publications RouterHistory: accepted 2022-04-20, pub-electronic 2022-05-06Publication status: PublishedIntroduction: Good Infection prevention and control (IPC) is vital for tackling antimicrobial resistance and limiting health care-associated infections. We compared IPC performance before (2019) and during the COVID-19 (2021) era at the national IPC unit and all regional (4) and district hospitals (8) in Sierra Leone. Methods: Cross-sectional assessments using standardized World Health Organizations IPC checklists. IPC performance scores were graded as inadequate = 0−25%, basic = 25.1−50%, intermediate = 50.1−75%, and advanced = 75.1−100%. Results: Overall performance improved from ‘basic’ to ‘intermediate’ at the national IPC unit (41% in 2019 to 58% in 2021) and at regional hospitals (37% in 2019 to 54% in 2021) but remained ‘basic’ at district hospitals (37% in 2019 to 50% in 2021). Priority gaps at the national IPC unit included lack of: a dedicated IPC budget, monitoring the effectiveness of IPC trainings and health care-associated infection surveillance. Gaps at hospitals included no assessment of hospital staffing needs, inadequate infrastructure for IPC and lack of a well-defined monitoring plan with clear goals, targets and activities. Conclusion: Although there is encouraging progress in IPC performance, it is slower than desired in light of the COVID-19 pandemic. There is urgent need to mobilize political will, leadership and resources and make a quantum leap forward.Licence for this article: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/SORT ITOperational ResearchWASHUniversal Health CoverageIPCATIPCAFEbolaHealth Care-associated InfectionIPC programmeArticle2022-05-08