Surgical infection and infection prevention and control programs are not a new idea; they have existed in some form for as long as healthcare practitioners and researchers have been aware of the detrimental effects of infection. Today, these programs tend to fall into two camps: societies or institutions that focus on academic solutions to the problem of infection, and smaller projects working on the ground with healthcare workers and regional leaders. Furthermore, there exists little overlap between the surgical and IPC communities in the area of safe surgery. A key function of WSIS is to connect with existing societies and individuals, particularly in low- and middle-income countries, in order to enable global conversations and mutually beneficial projects.

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