OBJECTIVES: To describe infection prevention and control (IPC) staffing levels in Belgian hospitals and assess associations with healthcare-associated infection (HAI) prevalence.

METHODS: This cross-sectional study analyzed data from the Belgian point prevalence survey (PPS) of HAIs and antimicrobial use (Sept-Nov 2022), conducted within the ECDC-PPS framework. IPC staffing was measured as full-time equivalents (FTEs) for IPC nurses and physicians. Hospital-level characteristics (bed occupancy, ICU presence, device use) and aggregated patient data were derived from PPS. Associations between IPC staffing and overall and specific HAI prevalence were examined using multivariable models adjusted for patient and treatment characteristics.

RESULTS: Median IPC staffing was 1.0 FTE for nurses and 0.3 for physicians (0.83 and 0.30 per 250 beds). Smaller hospitals (<200 beds) reported higher combined IPC staffing per 250 beds than larger hospitals. No association was found between IPC staffing and overall HAI prevalence. However, higher combined staffing was significantly associated with lower prevalence of COVID-19 (ORa 0.21; 95% CI 0.10-0.42), gastrointestinal infections (0.40; 0.18-0.88), and device-related infections including central line-associated bloodstream infections (0.50; 0.33-0.78) and catheter-associated urinary tract infections (0.60; 0.38-0.95).

CONCLUSIONS: IPC staffing varies widely across Belgian hospitals. Increased staffing is linked to reduced prevalence of certain HAIs. Adequate IPC resources may strengthen infection prevention capacity. Further research should confirm these associations and define optimal staffing strategies.