Achieving Zero-Leak Infection Prevention: A Theory of Continuous Protection (TCP) Based on Embedded Real-Time Protection
Year: 2026
Type: article
Abstract: Background: Healthcare-Associated Infections (HAIs) continue to pose a serious challenge to global health, highlighting the need to move beyond traditional oversight toward stronger, system-wide interventions. Although Infection Prevention and Control (IPC) practices are well established, the greatest obstacle to achieving full compliance lies in the “implementation gap”—the disconnect between knowing the correct protocols and consistently applying them at the bedside. The objective: The study proposes the Theory of continuous protection (TCP), Also referred to as Soojeede’s Theory (ST) which is a transformative framework to bridge the global implementation gap in infection prevention and control (IPC). This theory challenges traditional punitive auditing models and introduces a new way of continuous collaboration oversight, to achieve a zero-leak standard by integrating national governance and facility-level embedded mentorship. Framework: The TCP framework works on two connected level, national level – establish the necessary system through legislation, curriculum development within national health institute at Ministry of health, standardized professional certification, and defined staffing ratio (1 IPC professional per 69-100 beds). Facility-level execution Implementation is guided by seven pillar, first pillar is embedded co-working mentorship, where IPC professional function as daily partners and mentors rather than inspector. The remaining pillars include zone bio-segregation, automated reminders and visual life cycle tagging system, continuous supply chain and promotion psychological safety and family engagement. Conclusion: by Theory of continuous protection provides a practical roadmap for elimination of Healthcare Associated infections. It emphasized the normalization of Infection Prevention and Control as an intrinsic component of clinical practice rather than a documentation task. Furthermore, it redefines the role IPC professional’s role from enforcement agents to collaborative enablers, reinforcing the idea that infection control is continuous, living reality in healthcare system.
Author: Mohamed Ibrahim Abdi - Soojeede
Institution: Hope University
Language: English
Subfield: Infectious Diseases
Field: Medicine
Domain: Health Sciences
Open Access status: diamond
OpenAlex ID: W7142766759