Prevalence of nosocomial infections and anti-infective therapy in Benin: results of the first nationwide survey in 2012.

Background: Data on nosocomial infections in hospitals in low-income countries are scarce and often inconsistent. The objectives of this study were to estimate the prevalence of nosocomial infections and antimicrobial drug use in Benin hospitals.

Methods: All hospitals were invited to participate in the first national point prevalence study conducted between 10-26 October 2012 using the protocol developed by the "Hospitals in Europe Link for Infection Control through Surveillance" (HELICS) project.