One of SHARE’s most influential figures, Sister Anne Russell, has been instrumental in the development of Infection Control Policies and Audits.

Since 2001, we have visited Ethiopia on an annual basis, and have concentrated on assisting the healthcare staff to implement the Ethiopian Federal Ministry of Health Infection Control and Patient Safety Guidelines which are an excellent basis for improvement in patient care within hospitals and clinics.

There are significant challenges in implementing these guidelines including the lack of a reliable water supply to the wards and departments, lack of essential supplies and equipment and also in changing practice to ensure staff focus on patient safety.

Through concentrating on basic procedures such as effective hand washing, cleaning of equipment, safe disposal of sharps and other clinical waste and the cleaning and sterilising of medical instruments some progress is being made. This has to be an ongoing project which to be successful must ensure that patient safety is at the heart of clinical practice for every healthcare practitioner.