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Infection Control and Hospital Hygiene in Belgium

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  21 June 2016

Gerald Reybrouck*
Affiliation:
Public Health Laboratoiy, School of Public Health, Katholieke, Universiteit Leuven, Louvain, Belgium
Raf Mertens
Affiliation:
Institute of Hygiene and Epidemiology, Department of Public Health, Brussels, Belgium
*
Public Health Laboratory, Unversitary Hospital St.-Rafaël, Kapucijnenvoer, 33, B-3000 Leuven, Belgium

Extract

In 1972 the Council of Europe, in which most of the Western European countries are represented, adopted a resolution aimed at the improvement of hospital hygiene and the promotion of the prevention of nosocomial infections. The member states were invited to take the required measures, but each country was free to implement the resolution according to its own needs and particularities. In Belgium, the first legal regulations were issued in 1974—every hospital was obliged to set up a committee for hospital hygiene.

Although similar regulations were issued in most other member states. the actual infection control policies adopted can vary. This article highlights some of the particularities for Belgium.

Type
Special Sections
Copyright
Copyright © The Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America 1989

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References

1. Council of Europe, Committee of Ministers: Resolution (72)31 on hospital hygiene. Adopted by the ministers' deputies. 213th Meeting, Strasbourg, Sept 19, 1972.Google Scholar
2. Arrêté Royal du 24 avril 1974 complétant l'arrêté royal du 23 octobre 1964 portant fixation des normes auxquelles les hôpitaux et leurs services doivent répondre. Moniteur belge, 19 juin 1974.Google Scholar
3. Van de Voorde, H: L'Hygiène à l'hôpital. Hospitalia 1964: 8:718.Google Scholar
4. De Wever, A: Fonctionnement du comité d'hygiène hospitalière. Hôpital belge 1980; 148:3548.Google Scholar
5. De Wever, A: Fonctionnement du comité d'hygiène hospitalière. Hopital belge 1986: 180:2026.Google Scholar
6. Reybrouck, G: Die Hygiene-Kommission. Die Gesetzgebung in Belgien und ihre praktische Auswirkung in Löwen. Hyg Med 1978; 3:266270.Google Scholar
7. Mertens, R, Kegels, G, Stroobant, A, et al: The national prevalence survey of nosocomial infections in Belgium. 1984. J Hosp Infect 1987; 9:219229.10.1016/0195-6701(87)90117-4CrossRefGoogle Scholar