Poorer countries have higher rates of hospital infections

According to World Health Organization researchers, poorer countries have far higher hospital infection rates than those in the developed world. These infections are ones patients receive in the hospital, and commonly include pneumonia, urinary tract and blood stream infections, and most commonly, infections of in the area around surgical incisions.


Victor Rosenthal is the founder of the International Nosocomial Infection Control Consortium, which was set up to help medical professionals stop hospital infections.

“It’s not about money,” he told Vatican Radio. “It is only pennies…they are really cheap stuff.”

He says infections can be prevented by proper training, and following established sanitary procedures.

His organization offers, for free, tools to help hospitals track infection rates and compliance with proper hygienic protocols.

“We create a monthly report that we send to the hospital team to guide them to perform the next interventions,” he said.

Listen to Victor Rosenthal's full interview with Charles Collins: