SIGN meeting report 2003. - World Health Organization

Objective 1: Exchange information between partners
Progress since the last SIGN meeting
An international environment favourable to the injection safety initiative
Yvan Hutin
WHO, Headquarters, Geneva
Many of the objectives set at the SIGN meeting 2001 have been reached (Table 1). The
international environment is favourable to the injection safety initiative. We now have a
solid evidence base to document poor injection practices, their determinants and their
consequences, advocacy efforts resulted in a high level of awareness, the SIGN alliance
has a stronger focus towards countries, tools are now available for policy management
and experience in pilot countries is indicating the way forward.
Injections are still unsafe in developing and transitional countries
The capacity to use assessment data to make decisions is still limited, there is a limited
consumer demand for safety in many countries (e.g., South Asia), the work of the SIGN
alliance is solely focused on injection safety, the WHO tools are not yet widely used and
no countries have ever implemented a fully scaled-up plan for the safe and appropriate
use of injections.
Identifying the steps and processes to scale up injection safety interventions
SIGN participants must facilitate the use of data for local decision-making, educate
about the risks associated with unsafe injections through HIV prevention and care
programmes, build up a broader infection control culture, disseminate the WHO policy
management tools in countries and identify the steps and processes of the scaling up.
Educating for the safe use of injections in the informal private sector of Karachi, Pakistan
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