ECDC report highlights high rates of healthcare-associated infections in Cyprus

The European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) has released a new guide for infection prevention and control programs in hospitals. According to 2024 data, 13.8% of hospitalized patients in Cyprus suffer from at least one healthcare-associated infection, which is nearly double the European Union average. Across the EU, more than 3.5 million patients contract such infections annually, leading to over 90,000 deaths. In Cyprus, approximately 56% of hospitalized patients receive antibiotics, further increasing the risk of antimicrobial resistance. The ECDC emphasizes that hand hygiene, while essential, is insufficient on its own and requires robust, sustainable national and facility-level prevention programs. The new guidelines advocate for clear governance, accountability, continuous surveillance, and systematic data utilization. These measures aim to address the persistent failure in patient safety within healthcare environments.