In close collaboration with the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), ICAP has been supporting a comprehensive infection prevention and control (IPC) and antimicrobial resistance (AMR) strengthening initiative in Georgia to address the growing challenge of AMR. A key facet of this effort is an IPC Foundational Course pilot, targeting health professionals from four large hospitals with the goal of building workforce capacity and contributing to national IPC system strengthening.

The inaugural cohort participated in an intensive blended learning program that combined two in-person workshops with a six-week, on-the-job practical component. The workshops were held on September 8–15 and November 10–13 2025. Throughout the program, participants received ongoing mentorship from CDC and ICAP experts, along with structured opportunities for peer learning, networking, and exchange.

During the workshops, participants strengthened their core knowledge and skills in IPC fundamentals, including hand hygiene and respiratory hygiene, environmental cleaning and waste management, injection safety, healthcare-associated infections (HAIs), occupational health, and health care worker safety. The course also introduced the WHO-recommended IPC Core Components framework, equipping participants with global standards and tools for improving IPC programs.

Course participants engage in a hands-on IPC activity.

A key feature of the course was its strong focus on practical application. Between the two workshop sessions, participants implemented seven weeks of “on-the-job” IPC improvement projects within their respective hospitals. They applied the knowledge, skills, and tools gained during the first workshop to carry out meaningful, facility-based interventions that laid the foundation for strengthening IPC systems. One of the highlights of the second workshop was the presentation of these project results by participating hospitals. Their achievements demonstrated both impressive progress and strong motivation, including:

• Improved hand hygiene practices and monitoring
• Critical analysis and strengthening of HAI surveillance systems, with enhanced data use
• Improved occupational health protocols and adherence to sharps injury procedures

The course concluded with a series of hands-on practical sessions featuring simulation exercises that reinforced theoretical knowledge and helped participants operationalize key IPC competencies.

At the completion of the program, participants expressed high satisfaction with the course, particularly its integration of mentorship, practical activities, and facility-based projects into a results-oriented learning experience. Conducted in parallel with similar workshops in Kazakhstan, this program reflects a broader regional effort to strengthen IPC readiness. As Georgia continues to build a strong foundation for IPC, capacity-building collaborative initiatives are contributing to safer, higher-quality health care nationwide.

About ICAP

A major global health organization that has been improving public health in countries around the world for two decades, ICAP works to transform the health of populations through innovation, science, and global collaboration. Based at Columbia Mailman School of Public Health, ICAP has projects in more than 40 countries, working side-by-side with ministries of health and local governmental, non-governmental, academic, and community partners to confront some of the world’s greatest health challenges. Through evidence-informed programs, meaningful research, tailored technical assistance, effective training and education programs, and rigorous surveillance to measure and evaluate the impact of public health interventions, ICAP aims to realize a global vision of healthy people, empowered communities, and thriving societies. Online at icap.columbia.edu