BEIJING, Nov. 27 (Xinhua) -- China's Ministry of Health signed the Statement of Patient Safety to tackle health care-associated infections here on Tuesday, officially joining in the Global Patient Safety Challenge program initiated by the World Health Organization (WHO).

    Huang Jiefu, vice minister of health, said the ministry would establish and implement the technical standards for prevent and control health care-associated infections, intensify control and management of hand hygiene, blood safety, injection and immunization safety, safe clinical procedures, safe water and sanitation in health care.

    "China will strengthen international communication and cooperation, sharing experiences and techniques of health care-infection control with other countries," he said.

    China has paid great attention to the health care-infection control, which was covered by the Law on the Prevention and Treatment of Infectious Diseases enacted in 2004 and the ministry's regulations on hospital infections management in 2006, Huang said.

    Dr Hans Troedsson, the WHO Representative in China, said one fifth of the world population joined the program as it was launched in China, and it's significant to conduct activities through proper approaches.

    According to statistics, some 1.4 million patients get infected in hospitals and the rate of health care-infections is about five percent in China. The infections may make the patients' state of illness worse, prolong the time for them in hospital, and even lead to their deaths.

    The First Global Patient Safety Challenge, "Clean Care Is Safer Care", was inaugurated as a flagship program of the World Alliance for Patient Safety of the WHO in 2004. Besides China, 45 countries and regions have signed commitments to join the program.