Infection-proof care facilities - Development and measurement-based verification of simple and robust technology especially applicable for outsourced healthcare and hospitals in low-income countries

According to WHO the frequency of surgical site infection is up to nine times higher in low-income countries than in high-income countries.

Furthermore, it is well established that clean indoor air reduces the risk of airborne transmission of viruses and others pathogens and postoperative infections.

The technical solution that is used today to ensure the required air cleanliness is however expensive, advanced, energy- and space-demanding, and not very flexible.

This is problematic and limiting, especially in low-income countries where safety ventilation hardly exists at all.Hypothesis: an alternative solution, consisting of an appropriate combination of local room air cleaner units and a pressure-controlled supply air fan-filter unit, can create the required air pollution control for general surgery even under unfavorable conditions and basically for premises of any kind.Purpose: to test the hypothesis in a scientifically valid manner, which is mainly done by verifying measurements of a number of optimized technical installations in different environments.Aim: to demonstrate that the alternative technical solution will be considerably less expensive, simpler, smaller, quieter, more energy-efficient, and more flexible than the traditional technical solution that is used today.

In the long term, this could imply that more people can receive care, fewer people are contaminated or infected, and the preparedness and capacity are increased for important response organizations.