International Infection Prevention Week: Stand UPPP for Infection Prevention

International Infection Prevention Week (IIPW), a global initiative, highlights the importance of preventing infections to protect patients, staff, and communities. This year’s theme, “Stand UPPP for Infection Prevention” (Unite, Protect, Prevent, Prevail), calls on everyone working in health and social care to take proactive steps towards safer care.

This week isn’t just for infection prevention specialists — it’s for everyone in health and social care. For those working in care homes, domiciliary care, or any setting where vulnerable people receive support, infection prevention is central to quality and safety. That’s why at CareTutor we’re proud to offer two dedicated courses on this subject: Infection Prevention & Control in the Care Home and Home Care 10: Infection Prevention & Control.

These courses remain an essential learning module in our catalogue, designed to help staff in care home and home care settings understand and apply best practices in infection prevention and control.

Why This Week Matters — And Why You Should Join In

Raise visibility and understanding: IIPW gives infection prevention efforts a spotlight. It reminds staff, families, and the public of the everyday actions that reduce risk.
Celebrate infection prevention professionals: The “IP Factor” campaign encourages people to share stories of positive impact, projects, or individuals making a difference.
Provide educational resources: Through the “Download IIPW Resources” section you can access infographics, brochures, posters, flyers and more, all aimed at helping teams communicate and learn.
Take part in daily activities: IIPW suggests themed activities — puzzles, scavenger hunts, creative contests — to engage teams and reinforce learning.

By participating, you not only raise awareness in your own setting but help create a culture where infection prevention is everyone’s responsibility.

5 Practical Tips for Getting Involved

Here are ways you and your team can engage during Infection Prevention and Control Week:

Download and display IIPW infographics and posters
Visit the infectionpreventionandyou.org site and access their library of downloadable materials. Put them in staff rooms, communal areas, and offices to spark conversations.
Share your stories via the IP Factor
Have a success story — maybe a project that reduced infections, or a staff member who made a real difference? Submit it to the IP Factor campaign and use hashtags like #TheIPFactor and #IIPW2025 to amplify it.
Run team-based mini learning sessions
Use daily IIPW prompts or puzzles as brief warm-up exercises before shifts. This helps embed infection control concepts in an interactive way. For IIPW ideas for content, wordles, fun activities, gratitude messages, and resources day-by-day, visit Infection Prevention and You’s Official Website.
Promote or enrol staff onto your infection control training module
Use your internal systems (or platforms like CareTutor) to make sure all staff complete the Infection Prevention & Control in the Care Home or the Home Care 10: Infection Prevention & Control course. Supplement it with team discussions or case studies based on real-life scenarios.
Use social media to create awareness
Post around IIPW: share visuals, success stories, staff quotes, or “a day in the life” vignettes. Use the official hashtags and tag organizations to extend reach. Access the Promotional Toolkit to download ready social media post templates, infographics, logos, and more.

CareTutor’s Infection Prevention and Control eLearning Courses

CareTutor offers two dedicated eLearning modules on this vital topic:

These modules are designed to build awareness and practical understanding through scenario-based video content, filmed in real-life care home and home care settings, voiceover, and interactive learning to help staff:

Recognise infection risks
Understand hygiene and PPE protocols
Respond to outbreaks or incidents
Embed preventive behaviours in everyday practice

By coupling your broader participation in IIPW with targeted training, you strengthen both awareness and competence.

Conclusion

Infection Prevention and Control Week gives us a collective platform to underscore a truth: safe care depends on vigilant minds and consistent practices. By uniting under the Stand UPPP banner, care providers reinforce that prevention isn’t passive, it’s active, continuous, and shared.

This week, let us recommit to building safer care environments, equipping every staff member with knowledge, motivation, and support. Through awareness campaigns, shared stories, and training (such as our course), we can all do our part to unite, protect, prevent, and prevail.

Unlock our library of 90+ CPD-accredited courses including Infection Prevention and Control training. Register your interest today!