The 24th WFHSS World Sterilization Congress took place from 18 to 21 October 2023 at SQUARE Brussels Convention Centre in Brussels, Belgium. The event brought together more than 1,600 participants and 78 industry partners, making it one of the major international gatherings for sterilization and medical device reprocessing.
I attended as President of JAM Sterilization Research Institute and Iran’s representative in the World Federation for Hospital Sterilisation Sciences. My paper with Faezeh Abdi, Sterilization Risk Management in Developing Countries, was accepted for oral presentation. I delivered the 30-minute presentation in English on the morning of Saturday, 21 October.
The study examined major sterilization challenges in developing countries. The risks identified included inadequate infrastructure, unreliable electricity and clean-water supplies, limited access to compliant equipment and consumables, insufficient staff training, weak monitoring and documentation, poor equipment maintenance, and restricted financial and human resources.
The research also considered how cultural and social factors can affect the understanding and implementation of cleaning, disinfection, and sterilization standards. In areas such as dental care, these differences may widen the gap between everyday practice and international requirements.
The proposed risk-reduction measures included continuing staff education, standardized operating procedures, routine quality control, sterilization-cycle monitoring, equipment maintenance and calibration, and complete process records. Together, these measures can improve service quality, patient safety, and accountability in healthcare facilities.
The presentation brought the experience of developing countries into an international discussion and created an opportunity to exchange practical risk-management approaches with specialists from around the world. It also increased the international visibility of JAM Sterilization Research Institute and Iran’s contribution to the global sterilization community.
