Ultraviolet Disinfection Technology for Candida Auris in Saudi Intensive Care Units

Session Description: Candida auris is a multidrug-resistant fungal pathogen that poses a serious global threat, particularly in intensive care settings. Its resilience on surfaces and resistance to common disinfectants have contributed to environmental persistence and healthcare-associated outbreaks, including central line–associated bloodstream infections. This session presents a pioneering initiative from a tertiary care hospital in Saudi Arabia, where an innovative infection control intervention was implemented using ultraviolet-C light disinfection technology as a no-touch, adjunctive method to standard manual cleaning.
Participants will explore the full cycle of this quality improvement project, which integrated environmental surveillance, advanced disinfection practices, and structured clinical education. The session will share evidence-based findings, including a demonstrated 99.9% reduction in Candida auris colony-forming units on high-touch surfaces and a complete elimination of Candida auris–associated bloodstream infections within the study period. Detailed results from microbiological testing, clinical surveillance, and compliance audits will be presented alongside strategic implementation tools such as root cause analysis, fishbone diagramming, driver diagrams, and Plan–Do–Study–Act cycles.
Attendees will also learn about the challenges of implementing disinfection technology in critical care areas, the importance of interprofessional engagement, and sustainability planning to ensure long-term integration into infection control protocols. The project outcomes offer valuable insights for any healthcare setting seeking to enhance patient safety and environmental hygiene through innovative technology.
This session is ideal for infection preventionists, epidemiologists, clinical leaders, and healthcare quality professionals across all levels of expertise. Whether you are managing an outbreak, developing proactive containment strategies, or designing infection prevention infrastructure, this presentation provides practical and transferable lessons from a real-world case study with measurable impact.

Nahala Habiballa

Infection Control Consultant and Certified CBAHI Surveyor, Prince Sultan Military Medical City (PSMMC) and Saudi Central Board for Accreditation of Healthcare Inistitution (CBAHI) - KSA

Dr. Nahla Habiballa, MBBS, MD, PhD, CIC, LTC-CIP, AL-CIP, CPPS, CRMP, CPHQ, ISQua fellowship, is Public Health and Infection Prevention and Control Consultant at Prince Sultan Military Medical City (PSMMC) in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. She brings more than twenty-five years of expertise in HAI prevention, clinical epidemiology, patient safety, healthcare quality, and risk management. She also serves as Professor of Public Health at Alexandria University, Egypt. Dr. Habiballa has been a Certified Surveyor for the Saudi Central Board for Accreditation of Healthcare Institutions (CBAHI) since 2010, leading national accreditation surveys and contributing to the development of infection-control and patient-safety standards. At PSMMC, she leads major IPC programs, AI-enabled surveillance transformation, and quality-improvement initiatives aligned with Saudi Vision 2030. An experienced international speaker, she has presented on IPC innovation and HAI reduction at global conferences including ICPIC, IDWeek, APIC regional meetings, and multiple patient-safety forums.

Noreen Mollon

Infection Prevention and Epidemiology Manager, University of Michigan Health

Noreen Mollon is a manager in the Department of Infection Prevention and Epidemiology at University of Michigan Health. She joined the team in February of 2020. Prior to her role at UMH, she spent nearly 15 years working in public health holding several positions including tuberculosis epidemiologist and infection prevention consultant. During her time as IP consultant, she helped healthcare facilities across the continuum of care prepare for special pathogens and helped educate on infection prevention standards. She has a BS in microbiology from University of Michigan and MS in epidemiology from Michigan State University.