This practical manual is designed to support health care facilities to achieve effective implementation of their infection prevention and control (IPC) programmes according to the World Health Organization (WHO) Guidelines on core components of IPC programmes in the context of their efforts to improve the quality and safety of health service delivery and the health outcomes of the people who access those services.

Although there is no single formula for guideline implementation, the manual draws on current evidence relating to the effectiveness of interventions to support the uptake of guidelines. Furthermore, input and external review of the content have been gathered from many IPC professionals in a wide range of countries across all regions. The principles and guidance provided in this manual are valid for any country, but with a special focus on settings with limited resources.