Ministerial Conference on the Microbial Threat to Patient Safety in Europe

Date: 15.4.2009 — 16.4.2009
Venue: Prague - Czech Republic
Category: Other Meetings
Theme: Employment, Soc. Pol., Health and Cons. Affairs

Prague will host a Ministerial Conference on the Microbiological Threat to Patient Safety on 15 – 16 April 2009.

In relation to the Slovenian, French and Swedish Presidency, the conference will focus on the issues of prevention and control of healthcare-associated infections and antimicrobial resistance in healthcare institutions, especially in hospitals.

To provide safe and high-quality healthcare, including accessible and comprehensible information to patients, is of key importance to the Czech Republic and the Czech Presidency. These goals are also included in the proposal of the EU Council Recommendation "on patient safety, including the prevention and control of healthcare-associated infections", one of the vital documents in the field of public health protection on both national and EU level.

The conference will address the following issues:
1. Hospital antimicrobial programmes: standards and indicators for European hospitals
2. Impact of systemic parameters of healthcare on occurrence of antimicrobial resistance and healthcare-associated infections
3. Leadership and accountability: reducing risks related to antimicrobial resistance and healthcare-associated infections for patients

The highest representatives of the European Commission, the World Health Organisation and the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control, along with several EU Health Ministers and many other attendants, have already confirmed their participation at the conference.

For further information on the Conference on the Microbiological Threat to Patient Safety, the priorities of the Czech Presidency in the area of protection of public health and other Presidency events, visit http://czpres.mzcr.cz/.