Basic IPC Course
The Basic Infection Prevention and Control Course is a Hybrid 5-day programme which combines theory, practicals (facility visits or videos) and group discussions. The evidence based structured curricula provides a basis for developing health policies for safe clinical practice. This introductory course is designed for health care workers requiring basic IPC knowledge which is essential in the reduction of infections and maintaining public health safety.
CSSD Course
The 5-day CSSD Hybrid Course blends theory with facility visits and group tasks to broaden perspectives. This structured program clarifies workplace misconceptions and provides a foundational curriculum. Culminating in a final exam and competency certification, it is designed for managers, operators, and aspiring professionals seeking a comprehensive start in private or public sterile service careers.
Basic IPC for Managers
The 3-day IPC Managers Hybrid Course equips health facility leaders with the essential knowledge to establish and oversee infection prevention programs. The curriculum focuses on managerial skills, safety compliance, outbreak preparedness, and resource allocation. Designed for managers seeking foundational IPC expertise, the program concludes with a final examination, requiring candidates to meet specific standards for professional certification.
Training of Trainers Course in IPC
The 7-week IPC Training of Trainers course begins with five didactic days, followed by a six-week facility attachment. Candidates develop materials and conduct training for healthcare workers. Assessment focuses on knowledge transfer and content quality. Open to Basic IPC Course graduates, it builds essential teaching, communication, and evaluation skills for health professionals at all levels.
Ancillary IPC Course
The Ancillary IPC 3-day Course is designed for support staff who include nurse aides, housekeepers, cleaners, food service, laundry, maintenance workers etc. The training of ancillary staff is crucial since they are frontline defenders against the environmental transmission of pathogens in healthcare settings. Proper training enables them to break the chain of infection, reducing healthcare-associated infections (HAIs) and protecting both patients, visitors and fellow healthcare workers
Demand driven IPC Courses
The Association offers Demand-driven courses in IPC on emerging IPC trends, practical skills which require enforcement, compliance with new regulations, and addressing high-risk areas in healthcare during outbreaks. The demand driven courses can also be developed as per facility requirements hence can be tailored for specific situations. Topical issues also necessitate the organising of demand driven courses either individually or in collaboration with other organizations. The duration of the courses differs according to need
Mentorship & Site SupportThe Association offers mentorship support and newly appointed IPC Focal Persons who require practical guidance in undertaking their duties. Our experts offer professional guidance, knowledge transfer and continuous support to accelerate career development. Candidates benefit from skills development which builds their confidence and boost their performance. Additionally, the Association provide Site Support to health facilities with the ultimate aim of improving the standard of care for better patient outcomes.Health facility assessmentsThe Association conducts health facility assessments to determine the level of compliance to IPC standards. Our experts provide guidance on the scoring technique which is very crucial in determining the correct status of the IPC programme
Technical GuidanceThe Association provides expert input in the development of IPC curricula, review of guidelines, policies and the strategic plan in collaboration with other partners.
ResearchThe Association has a Research and Surveillance initiatives at facility level inorder to manage infections at facility level. The results obtained assists the facilities in coming up with tailored intervention strategies which produce positive results. The Association encourages its membership to respond to calls for proposals and abstract writing so that they can present their research work locally, regionally or internationally.
Past projectsZimbabwe Infection Prevention and Control ProjectThe Infection Control Association of Zimbabwe Trust (ICAZ) in partnership with the Biomedical Research and Training Institute (BRTI) and Management Science for Health (MSH) secured a Grant for Strengthening Infection Control and Prevention in Health Care Facilities in Zimbabwe under the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) in 2011. The consortium supported the Ministry of Health and Child Care (MoHCC) in the implementation of the Zimbabwe Infection
- Prevention and Control Project (ZIPCOP) between October 2011 to September 2016. The main goal of the project was to reduce morbidity and mortality from infectious diseases in Zimbabwe through the strengthening of the national infection prevention and control (IPC) program. The Project resulted in the development and dissemination of a National IPC Guidelines, Policy, Strategic Plan and Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E) tools. The National IPC Guidelines were launched in 2023 whilst the National Policy, Strategic Plan was launched in 2025. The documents have been updated with technical input from the Association. The consortium with Technical Guidance from ICAZ-T developed the in-service and pre-service level IPC curriculum and training materials to strengthen the implementation of IPC activities at the facility level. Targeted facilities received Technical Guidance in developing costed IPC plans. Support was also rendered to MoHCC on the establishment of the multi-sectoral National Infection Prevention and Control (NIPCC) Committee. Using the funding from PEPFAR, selected health facilities were renovated to ensure appropriate environmental conditions for improved IPC. The project facilitated the revival of staff wellness programmes and advocated for the provision of post exposure prophylaxis (PEP) to 100% of health care workers exposed to HIV. A Tuberculosis Infection Control Video for community outreach was produced (Title: Engaging the Community to reduce spread of TB – A team Approach).
Healthcare Associated TB Infection Prevention Project Zimbabwe (HATIPP-ZIM)• The project was a direct continuation of one of ZIPCOP’s outputs (2016 – 2019) and focused on strengthening management structures for rolling out TB Infection Control and screening of other Non-Communicable Diseases. The project advocated for IPC to be an essential part of the provincial and district health reporting system based on set indicators. HATIPP-ZIM supported the establishment of free TB screening services for HCWs at Provincial, District & Mission Hospitals as per National IPC Policy. Healthcare worker TB screening and wellness were capacitated and provided with registers and equipment to facilitate the screening process. The Project strengthened pre-service awareness of risks of TB transmission among HCWs students during training. Nurse Tutors from Nursing Schools in Northern and Southern regions were consulted and the review of the pre-service training curriculum was done. Medical students curriculum was reviewed to cover TB risk assessment during their community attachments. A draft TB Screening Policy was developed and awaits adoption by the MoHCC. HATIPP-ZIM continued to provide technical & logistical support to operations of the established NIPCC & its TWGs (Infrastructure, Surveillance and M&E and Training) and provided a forum for inter-action across MoHCC departments, funding agencies and NGOs.
HATIPP ZIM – DIPSA Project (2018 – 2019)The project supported the introduction and implementation of an Infection Prevention and Control Postgraduate Diploma at the Bindura University of Science Education (BUSE). Its main objective was to strengthen the quality of IPC programmes both in Zimbabwe and in the Southern African Region through the training of advanced infection prevention and control (IPC) practitioners who will be a resource for the management of IPC programmes at National, Provincial, District level and in the Southern Africa region. The ICAZ-T collaborated with Biomedical Research and Training Institute and CUSE with support from the Infection Control Africa Network (ICAN) and CDC expertise. The Modular, Part-time programme is based on University of Stellenbosch Model. BUSE has continued to roll-out the course and completed -----groups.IPC Technical Documents developed