Counting the cost of healthcare-acquired infections in sub-Saharan Africa | WASH Matters (wateraid.org)

Published on April 9, 2024

Healthcare facilities without adequate water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) leave patients and staff vulnerable to healthcare-acquired infections (HAIs) such as sepsis and pneumonia. New research from WaterAid explores the rates of these infections in seven sub-Saharan African countries: Ethiopia, Ghana, Malawi, Mali, Nigeria, Uganda and Zambia. In 2022, more than 2.6 billion cases of HAIs were reported in the seven countries studied. In the same year, more than 275,000 people died as a result of an infection they picked up in hospital.

Calculated using an estimate of lost wages and productivity due to infections, lives lost, and the medical costs of treating HAIs, the data shows that these infections cost the seven countries between 0.4% and 2.9% of their annual gross domestic product (GDP).

The costs of healthcare acquired infections due to inadequate WASH in healthcare facilities is available for download for each country studied . Access it here: Counting the cost of healthcare-acquired infections in sub-Saharan Africa | WASH Matters (wateraid.org)

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