Building Infection Prevention Capacity in the Middle East: A 7-Year Certification Success Story

While health care infrastructure in the Middle East has grown rapidly, infection prevention efforts have struggled to keep pace, largely due to a shortage of certified, experienced infection preventionists (IPs). Recognizing this gap, a regional initiative launched in 2017 has spent the last 7 years addressing the challenge head-on by preparing and supporting IPs to attain Certification in Infection Control (CIC), a globally recognized standard of professional competence.

The program began as an educational platform to guide IPs through the rigorous CIC exam process. Enrolling more than 1,000 participants, including subject matter experts and certified IPs, the initiative offered targeted support through structured study plans, didactic training sessions, and peer collaboration.

A prospective observational study was embedded in the program to evaluate outcomes. From October 2017 to November 2024, the number of CIC-certified IPs in the region grew from 82 to 282, making it the region with the highest number of certified IPs outside of North America.

Of the 428 participants who attempted the CIC exam through the platform, 67% passed, closely matching the 2023 global average pass rate of 71% reported by the Certification Board of Infection Control and Epidemiology (CBIC). Notably, approximately 60% of those certified now practice in Saudi Arabia, where demand for skilled infection control practitioners remains high.

Beyond exam preparation, the platform has played a key role in elevating the professional development and clinical readiness of IPs across multiple health care systems. It has strengthened infection prevention programs by fostering career growth, promoting regional leadership in infection control, and aligning local practices with international standards.

As health care systems in the Middle East continue to expand, initiatives like this serve as a model for sustainable workforce development, ensuring that infection prevention competencies grow alongside clinical capacity to meet the demands of modern care and global patient safety expectations.

The information was presented as a poster at the Association of Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology Conference and Expo, held in Phoenix, Arizona, from June 16 to 18, 2025, by Shazia Irum, MSC, MBA, RN, CIC, CPHQ, from the King Salman Center for Kidney Diseases. Coauthors were Mohammed S Qashgari, MD, from the Saudi Public Health Authority; Elsy Mady El Chaer, MSN, RN, CIC, from Houston Methodist West; and Bassel Molaeb, MPH, CIC, FAPIC, from The Compass Health Consultancy, Dubai.