Global Approach to Healthcare-associated Infection (HAI) Surveillance Using Point Prevalence Surveys

Session Description: Healthcare-associated infection (HAI) surveillance is essential for effective infection prevention and control (IPC), but many healthcare settings, especially in low- and middle-income countries, lack the resources to sustain traditional longitudinal surveillance. To address this gap, the Global Action in Healthcare Network (GAIHN) has developed and is now piloting a standardized, pragmatic Point Prevalence Survey (PPS) protocol for monitoring HAIs.
This session will introduce the GAIHN PPS protocol, which supports a structured, single-day data collection effort using objective case definitions tailored for feasibility in low-resource settings. The protocol’s design promotes comparability across facilities and regions, while remaining flexible enough to be implemented in diverse healthcare environments. Unlike longitudinal surveillance, which may rely on subjective diagnosis and inconsistent reporting practices, the GAIHN PPS approach prioritizes definitional clarity and data completeness.
Participants will learn how this tool is being used globally to establish HAI baselines, identify IPC priorities, evaluate existing surveillance systems, and inform targeted prevention efforts. The session will present implementation experiences, discuss how repeated PPS efforts can generate trend data, and explore how facilities have translated survey findings into practical IPC interventions.
This presentation will equip infection preventionists with a model for strengthening HAI surveillance in challenging contexts and offer a path toward more actionable, data-informed IPC strategy.

Emily Petersen

Physician, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

Dr. Emily Petersen is a physician and epidemiologist with over a decade of experience in global and US public health surveillance, safe patient care promotion, and emerging infectious diseases. Dr. Petersen completed her Epidemic Intelligence Service fellowship in 2015, and now works in the International Infection Control Program in the Division of Healthcare Quality Promotion at the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). She is clinically active as an adjust Assistant Professor at the Emory University School of Medicine. Dr. Petersen’s research interests include international public health, maternal and child health, and healthcare-associated infection surveillance.

Matthew Westercamp

Epidemiologist, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)

Matthew Westercamp is a PhD trained epidemiologist with over 15 years of experience in international public health research, surveillance system design/implementation, and infection prevention and control. Dr. Westercamp served with the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Epidemic Intelligence Service as an officer from 2014 to 2016, and now works with the International Infection Control Program with the Division of Healthcare Quality Promotion. Prior to public health, he worked as a critical care nurse specializing in oncology and post-neurosurgical intervention patients.