Without the proper precautions, your health care facility can actually cause the spread of infections and diseases. When providing health services, it is essential to prevent the transmission of infections at all times.

This module provides an overview of how infections spread and explains how good infection prevention practices protect you, your clients, and the community at large.

Objectives
When you complete this module, you should be able to:

• Explain the causes of infections
• List the ways in which infections can be transmitted
• Discuss the importance of good infection prevention practices in a health care setting
• Explain who is at risk of infection transmission in the health care setting
• Describe what standard precautions are and explain the responsibilities of the health care worker in infection prevention

NOTE:
While reducing the risk of all infections is important, of particular concern in the health care setting are infections that cannot be cured, such as the hepatitis viruses and HIV, the virus that causes AIDS.

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