A comprehensive review of current status of infection prevention and control program in low- and middle-income countries.

Objective: This systematic review aims to underscore the adoption and implementation of infection prevention and control (IPC) practices based on the World Health Organization's Infection Prevention and Control Assessment Framework (IPCAF) in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs).

Methods and design: Systematic review.

Guiding methodology: Cochrane Handbook for systematic reviews and the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines.

Data sources: PubMed, Google Scholar, Web of Science, Scopus, Cochrane, grey literature and reference lists of studies published between January 2018 and September 2024.

Eligibility criteria to recruit studies: Peer reviewed full length, cross-sectional, mixed method and quasi-experimental studies written in English, conducted in LMICs and used IPCAF as assessment tool.

Data extraction and synthesis: Data were extracted on a data extraction form and quality of studies was evaluated by using the Standard Quality Assessment Criteria for Evaluating Primary Research Papers from a Variety of Fields. Evidence was generated as a group of themes.

Findings: In total, 24 studies were selected based on eligibility criteria. IPC program was implemented to a varying degree in healthcare facilities (HCFs) of LMICs. Key barriers reported were; no allocation of budget for IPC, insufficient staffing of full-time IPC professionals, absence of clear IPC goals, challenges in staff training, lack of resources, no periodic monitoring and inconsistent availability of IPC supplies.

Conclusions: There was an evidence on implementation of IPC program in the HCFs of LMICs, however, LMICs faced substantial challenges in achieving consistent and effective IPC.