Objectives: To review the efficient and cost-effective preventive, control and surveillancemeasures that could be employed against nosocomial infections in developing countries.Data sources: Literature search on compact disk-read only memory (CD-ROM), Medlineand Internet, using the key words: nosocomial infection, prevention and control, useof antibiotics and use of computers. Some articles were manually reviewed.Study selection: Relevant studies or articles on nosocomial infections in developing anddeveloped countries were included in the review.Data extraction: From individual studies or articles.Data synthesis: Information on nosocomial infections from developing and developedcountries with some emphasis on Kenya is synchronized under the headings; introduction,historical background of nosocomial infections. Current situation of nosocomial infectionsand predisposing factors, nosocomial infections and antimicrobial resistance, consequencesof nosocomial infections, hospital infection control programme and use of computersin nosocomial infection surveillance, and the cost benefit of infection prevention andcontrol programme.Conclusion: Nosocomial infections may be contained more effectively by having aninfection prevention and control programme. Computer-assisted epidemiologicalsurveillance appears to be the most important aspect of monitoring infection controlprogrammes, and to identify changes in risk factors that can increase the infection rate.Even minimally, effective infection control programmes are cost-effective. For the waragainst nosocomial infections to be won, the whole exercise should be handled as a globalproject with significant inputs from developing countries
