Monitoring healthcare-associated infections and antibiotic resistance
In places where people with weaker health temporarily stay together, such as in hospitals or residential care facilities, healthcare-associated infections occur when they are inadvertently infected with a pathogen during their stay. It often concerns microorganisms that are resistant to antibiotics, making them difficult to combat. They can spread rapidly and cause life-threatening infections. In Belgium, Sciensano’s Healthcare-Associated Infections and Antibiotic Resistance Service (NSIH — National Surveillance of Infections in Healthcare Settings) monitors the evolution of these infections, as well as the bacteria involved and the underlying protective and risk factors, such as hand hygiene and the excessive use of antimicrobial agents.
We monitor antibiotic use as this remains the most important factor in influencing antibiotic resistance. Our department also provides assistance with the biennial national hand hygiene campaigns that measure hand hygiene compliance. We also collect specific quality indicators related to infection prevention and control.
Since 2014, the service, in cooperation with the inspection services of the competent authorities, has been providing outbreak support to hospitals and other healthcare facilities that are struggling with difficult-to-treat microorganisms (multidrug resistant microorganisms or MDRO).
The surveillance of healthcare-associated infections is conducted in different types of hospitals and chronic care facilities, as required by federal and regional laws and/or within the framework of European projects. On the one hand, our service makes standard definitions and automated reporting systems available to healthcare institutions. On the other hand we collect national reference data on the occurrence of healthcare-associated infections and antibiotic resistance in Belgium. This allows institutions to compare themselves with national data. The Belgian Antibiotic Policy Coordination Committee (BAPCOC), established in 1999, oversees these protocols and activities.
Legal framework
Belgian acute care hospitals are by Royal Decree (BS 27/0½015, Numac 2015024034, Art.56 §2 ) required to participate in surveillance projects around:
- methicillin- resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA)
- multidrug-resistant Gram-negative germs (such as Extended Spectrum Beta-Lactamase or ESBL, and Carbapenemase-producing Enterobacterales or CPE)
- hospital-associated bloodstream infections (hospital-wide)
- systemic use of antimicrobial agents
- quality indicators for hospital hygiene.
They must also participate in at least 1 of the following 4 surveillance projects:
- bloodstream infections and lung infections (pneumonia) on Intensive Care Units (ICU)
- Clostridioides (Clostridium) difficile
- surgical site infections (SSI)
- or Vancomycin-resistant Enterococci (VRE).
Recording health data as part of surveillance projects
Please consult this webpage for more information on registering your data in connection with surveillance projects. Registration instructions vary depending on the surveillance. You will also find more information about the registration software ‘Healthdata for Data Providers’ (HD4DP) and ‘NSIHwin’, and about Healthstat.be, the data visualization platform of the Healthdata.be project.
Contact information
General contact information
Scientific directorate of Epidemiology and public health
Healthcare-associated infections and antimicrobial resistance service
Rue Juliette Wytsman 14
B-1050 Brussels
+32 (0)2 642 51 11
+32 (0)2 642 54 10
Would you like more information about NSIH surveillances?
Contact us at nsih-info@sciensano.be or nsih-admin@sciensano.be.
Would you like to send us data via email?
You can do so at nsihdata@sciensano.be.
Would you like to sign up as a contact person for a surveillance?
Please than complete the subscription form (
FR - NL) in and send it to us by e-mail to nsih-admin@sciensano.be. More information can be found in the form itself. Always include your hospital’s NSIH-number when you have a question regarding your hospital’s data.
Staff
Boudewijn Catry
Head of service / General manager of the NSIH program
Hand hygiene campaign
+32 (0)2 642 57 64
Annelies Asteur
AIRCO study: Research on ventilation in public spaces, including residential care homes
+32 (0) 2 642 50 26
Milena Callies
SeroCoBelChild: SARS-CoV-2 seroprevalence study in children and school personnel
SARS-CoV-2 surveillance in residential care homes
+32 (0)473 13 31 58
Lucy Catteau
BeH-SAC: Surveillance of antibiotic use in Belgian hospitals
ESAC-Net: European network for surveillance of antibiotic use
ECDC-PPS: European survey of antibiotic use and healthcare-associated infections in hospitals
LINK-VACC: COVID-19 vaccine surveillance
+32 (0)2 642 57 68
Sara Dequeker
NSIH-QI: Quality indicators for hospital hygiene in acute hospitals
Surveillance du SARS-CoV-2 dans les établissements de soins résidentiels
+32 (0)2 642 52 34
Els Duysburgh
NSIH-BSI: Surveillance of bloodstream infections in Belgian hospitals
NSIH-CDIF: Surveillance of Clostridioides difficile infections in Belgian hospitals
NSIH-QI: Quality indicators for hospital hygiene in acute hospitals
SeroCoBelChild: SARS-CoV-2 seroprevalence study in children and school personnel
SARS-CoV-2 HCW: SARS-CoV-2 seroprevalence study of health care workers in Belgian hospitals
SARS-CoV-2 seroprevalence study in first-line healthcare workers
SARS-CoV-2 seroprevalence study of residents and staff in residential care homes
+32 (0)2 642 57 44
Laura Int Panis
PPS studies: Studies on the prevalence of resistant bacteria in Belgian residential care homes
HALT studies: European research on antibiotic use and healthcare-associated infections in chronic care facilities
+32 (0)2 642 54 03
Katrien Latour
NSIH-AMR: Surveillance of antimicrobial resistance (MRSA, MRGN, and VRE) in Belgian hospitals
ECDC-PPS: European survey of antibiotic use and healthcare-associated infections in hospitals
NSIH-LTCF: Research on healthcare-associated infections in long term care facilities
+32 (0)2 642 57 62
Katelijne Matthys
OST: Outbreak support team
ANTICOV-NH: Antiviral treatment in residential care facilities with COVID-19 outbreak
+32 (0)2 642 53 28
katelijne.matthys@sciensano.be
Karl Mertens
NSIH-ICU: Surveillance of healthcare-associated infections in intensive care units in Belgian hospitals
NSIH-SSI: Surveillance of surgical site infections in Belgian hospitals
EARS-BE & EARS-Net: European network for surveillance of antimicrobial resistance
TC-MDRO secretariat & organization (Technical Committee MDRO)
+32 (0)2 642 57 95
Laure Mortgat
NSIH-CDIF: Surveillance of Clostridioides difficile infections in Belgian hospitals
SARS-CoV-2 HCW: SARS-CoV-2 seroprevalence study of health care workers in Belgian hospitals
+32 (0)2 642 57 42
Louise Vaes
Data processing, reporting and analysis
(EARS-BE, EARS-NET, NSIH-SSI, NSIH-ICU, ANTICOV-NH)
Nathalie Shodu
HHC: Hand hygiene campaign
OST: Outbreak support team
+32 (0)2 642 57 45
Administrative staff
Tadek Krzywania: +32 (0)2 642 50 37
Nathalie Verhocht: +32 (0)2 642 57 37
Consult the overview of our peer-reviewed publications in MEDLINE/PubMED.
