GENEVA, Switzerland, Oct. 23 (UPI) -- A World Health Organization global initiative seeks to combat healthcare-associated infection by improving hand hygiene, say researchers in Switzerland.

A commentary, scheduled to be published in the December issue of Infection Control and Hospital Epidemiology, notes that healthcare-acquired infection is a major patient safety problem found in every hospital, healthcare system and country.

The program developed by WHO provides guidelines on hand hygiene in healthcare based on scientific evidence and international expertise to increase hand hygiene compliance and reduced morbidity and mortality due to healthcare-acquired infection.

Dr. Authors Benedetta Allegranzi, of the World Alliance for Patient Safety and World Health Organization, and Dr. Didier Pittet of the University of Geneva Hospitals, in Switzerland, said the risk of healthcare-associated infection is 2 to 20 times higher for patients in developing countries than for patients in industrialized countries.

The ministries of health of 43 countries have signed the pledge to reduce healthcare-associated infection and another 20 are expected to join by the end of the year, the researchers say.