As Infection Prevention Week begins, we are reflecting on the pioneers whose work laid the foundations of modern infection prevention and control, while recognising the professionals who continue to advance the specialty today.
Infection prevention saves lives. Every improvement in patient safety, healthcare quality and infection control practice has been built on decades of expertise, innovation and leadership from individuals who challenged accepted thinking and transformed healthcare for the better.
Many of the principles that underpin modern IPC can be traced back to pioneering figures such as Ignaz Semmelweis, whose work demonstrated the life-saving importance of hand hygiene, Florence Nightingale, who championed cleanliness and safer healthcare environments, and Joseph Lister, whose promotion of antiseptic techniques revolutionised surgical practice.
Their contributions helped establish many of the core principles that remain central to infection prevention today: hand hygiene, environmental cleanliness, surveillance, evidence-based practice and a relentless focus on protecting patients from harm.
Over time, infection prevention evolved from the work of individual pioneers into a specialist profession supported by research, education, surveillance programmes, national guidance and multidisciplinary collaboration. Each generation of professionals has built upon the achievements of those who came before, continuously adapting to new challenges and emerging threats.
Today, IPS members continue that legacy across health and care settings, leading improvements in patient safety, supporting outbreak prevention and response, advancing research and education, and helping to protect patients, staff and communities every day.
As the profession looks to the future, infection prevention continues to evolve in response to challenges such as antimicrobial resistance, emerging infections, technological innovation and the drive for more sustainable healthcare. The next milestones in IPC are being shaped by the dedication, expertise and leadership of the current generation of infection prevention professionals.
This Infection Prevention Week, we are celebrating both the history of our profession and the people who inspire its future.
Who has shaped your IPC journey?
Behind every infection prevention professional is someone who has influenced, supported or inspired them along the way. It may be a pioneer whose research changed practice, a mentor who encouraged professional development, or a colleague whose expertise made a lasting impact.
As we honour the past and look towards the future, we invite you to share the individuals who have made a difference to your IPC journey and helped shape the profession we know today.
Together, we can celebrate the legacy of infection prevention and the people who continue to protect patients through excellence in IPC practice.
