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Safe surgery goes everywhere. No matter the distance, we work in resource-constrained countries around the world with the goal of ensuring patient safety and wellbeing.

Where We Work

Where We Work. Where We Work. Benin. / 2017. Safe Surgery. Everywhere. Decreasing the disparity in sterile processing knowledge between high- and low-income countries. Get Involved. Get to know us. Connect. Resources. Get involved. The Team. Recent News. Contact Us. Publications. Contact Us.…

Tanzania, an East African country with a population of 57.3 million, had a 2016 life expectancy of 62 and 66 for males and females, respectively. Due to large swaths of the population living in rural areas, access to healthcare can be challenging and in 2014, $137 was spent on health per capita.

Where We Work – Tanzania

After a procedure, even when a woman has a caesarean section, she will go home without complaints because we have been cleaning instruments well and have sterilized them. Before the training our sepsis rate after procedures was very high.…

The momentum built from the training-of-trainers workshop held in February in El Salvador led to participants sharing their learning in their hospitals in all four countries. In March, the hospital Nacional del Progreso Y Escuelade Enfermería in Guatemala held a Safer Surgical Instruments workshop for 20 operating room workers and 20 sterilization nurses.

Where We Work – Guatemala

Guatemala. Nacional del Progreso Y Escuelade Enfermería. 2019. Similar in size to neighbouring Central American countries, Guatemala continues to increase its overall health expenditure and in 2014 it was 6.2% of the GDP.¹ It is estimated that basic health and nutrition services meet only 54% of the…

Cameroon has a population of 24.4 million with a life expectancy of 65.5 and 61.0 years for females and males respectively.¹ Per the Ministry of Health, access to healthcare was 2.19 health facilities per 10,000 inhabitants as of 2016.²In collaboration with Mercy Ships and the Cameroonian Ministry of Public Health, SPECT trained 20 workers from 5 healthcare facilities in Douala on the fundamentals of sterile processing. SPECT’s training addressed sterilization techniques, filling knowledge gaps for health care workers and contributing to a reduced risk of surgical site infection. Ten health care workers were invited to attend a two-day Training of Trainers (ToT) workshop to bolster their educator skills, thereby building local capacity to expand SPECT's impact.

Where We Work – Cameroon

It was one of her proudest moments, to see these individuals who only four months ago were hesitant to embrace change, to that moment, where they were teaching their colleagues and confidently answering the questions they themselves had asked not long ago.…

An island off the coast of Southeast Africa, Madagascar has a population of 25.6 million. Access to healthcare is challenging, particularly for Malagasy in the rural areas - as of 2010, 32 percent of the population lived in urban areas and there were three hospital beds per 10,000 people.¹With these challenges in mind, and funding from Grand Challenges Canada, SPECT conducted a sterile processing training program for 97 health care workers representing 40 facilities from the cities of Antsirabe and Antananarivo.

Where We Work – Madagascar

"The training has been helpful because we know how to decrease infection in the hospital and because of this the patient’s stay is shorter." – Stanislas, Training Participant. Research findings on the impact of our training in Madagascar can be found in the.…

Located in West Africa with an estimated population of 11.5 million, Benin had five hospital beds per 10,000 people as of 2008.¹ In an effort to increase access to safe healthcare, in 2016 the Ministry of Health invited Mercy Ships and SPECT to provide medical capacity building training in the port city of Cotonou.From October 2016 - May 2017, in partnership with Mercy Ships, SPECT provided a sterile processing training program to increase health care workers’ knowledge and skills while contributing to safer work environments. Within this timeframe, SPECT supported a needs assessment with the Ministry of Health in 29 healthcare facilities across southern Benin. SPECT then trained 92 workers from 44 facilities on recommended sterile processing practices. Following the training, 56 pressure cooker sterilizers - including SPECT's innovative instrument basket and a heating source - were distributed to facilities that didn't previously have a way of sterilizing instruments.

Where We Work – Benin

From October 2016 - May 2017, in partnership with Mercy Ships, SPECT provided a sterile processing training program to increase health care workers’ knowledge and skills while contributing to safer work environments.…

Where We Work – Nicaragua

Nicaragua. Esteban Jeanz Cerran. 2019. Located east of El Salvador and the initial training site, healthcare workers from Nicaragua returned home following the workshop held in February in. El Salvador. and led a “Safer Surgical Instruments” training workshop in March 2019 at the hospital Esteban Je…

Sterile processing training for staff from ten hospitals in Senegal to provide education on washing and sterilization techniques and personal protective measures to ensure safe surgery and reduce the risk of surgical infection.

Where We Work – Senegal

Work started in 2019. The West African country of Senegal has a population of 15.8 million, with 5.5% of the GDP spent on healthcare.¹.…

Where We Work – Honduras

Honduras. Mario Catarino Rivas. 2019. Located north of El Salvador and the initial training site, Honduras continues to support safe health initiatives with 8.7% of the total GDP expenditure on health.¹. Following the trainer-of-trainers workshop in February 2019 in. El Salvador. participants return…

A densely populated country with 105 million people, Ethiopia has approximately 2.6 physicians for every 100,000 people.¹In 2017 - 2018, in partnership with Assist International through the Safe Surgery 2020 initiative, SPECT trained 65 health care workers in the Amhara and Tigray regions. Following the initial training, 27 participants also completed a training-of-trainers workshop who went on to train over 250 additional workers on sterile processing practices.

Where We Work – Ethiopia

I’ve already distributed all of the equipment we received to each of the sterilization areas. We appreciate all of the support and encouragement". – Melaku Fikadu, Head of Infection Prevention Services at Adishehu Hospital.…

The population of Guinea is estimated at 12.4 million with an average life expectancy of 60.02 years old.¹ In 2011 there were three hospital beds per 10,000 people, suggesting challenges for the population to access inpatient healthcare, including surgery.

Where We Work – Guinea

Guinea. Conakry. 2012–2013, 2018–2020. The population of Guinea is estimated at 12.4 million with an average life expectancy of 60.02 years old.¹ In 2011 there were three hospital beds per 10,000 people, suggesting challenges for the population to access inpatient healthcare, including surgery. At t…

SPECT trained 30 maternal care workers in Uganda’s Mukono District, improving sterile processing in 10 facilities.

Where We Work – Uganda

Uganda. Mukono District. 2018. In February 2021, SPECT collaborated with FullSoul Canada and Rotary International to deliver sterile processing training to 30 maternal care workers from 10 healthcare facilities in Uganda’s Mukono District. This initiative helped improve infection prevention practice…

Cambodia is a country that has experienced tremendous growth in the last decade and in 2015 had eight hospital beds for every 10,000 people¹ suggesting a growing demand for inpatient services. With a focus on improving surgical outcomes through the Safe Surgery 2020 Initiative, SPECT - in partnership with the Ministry of Health and Assist International - was invited in 2018 to provide education and training to health care workers. In this collaboration SPECT worked with eight hospitals in and around Phnom Penh to offer training and mentorship in sterile processing technique. The project included completing pre-assessments, two rounds of training and mentoring (both in person and remotely) and post-assessment follow-up and data collection.

Where We Work – Cambodia

Work started in 2019. Cambodia is a country that has experienced tremendous growth in the last decade and in 2015 had eight hospital beds for every 10,000 people¹ suggesting a growing demand for inpatient services.…

Sierra Leone is located in West Africa with an estimated population of 7.56 million as of 2017. Maternal mortality is highest in the world with 1,360 mothers dying per 100,000 live births,² and the small country has faced a history of challenges in delivering safe and accessible healthcare with 38% of the population living in urban areas.

Where We Work – Sierre Leone

Sierre Leone. Freetown. 2011 - 2012. Sierra Leone is located in West Africa with an estimated population of 7.56 million as of 2017.¹ Maternal mortality is highest in the world with 1,360 mothers dying per 100,000 live births,² and the small country has faced a history of challenges in delivering sa…

In February, SPECT teamed up with Lifebox to present a three-day, “Safer Surgical Instruments (SSI)”, training-of-trainers workshop to healthcare workers from hospitals in Honduras, El Salvador, Nicaragua and Guatemala. The workshop, run concurrently with the Lifebox “Checklist Implementation Strategies”, was organised in partnership with Asociación de Médicos Anestesiólogos de El Salvador (AMAES). We aimed to communicate the fundamental concepts, standards and practices of sterile processing, and both workshops received encouraging words from Vice Minister of Health of El Salvador, Dr. Julio Robles, at the opening ceremony.

Where We Work – El Salvador

El Salvador. Asociación de Médicos Anestesiólogos de El Salvador. 2019. The Central American country of El Salvador has a population of 6.4 million and in 2002 had 1.24 physicians per 1,000 people.¹. Recognizing the need for safe inpatient health services, SPECT partnered with Lifebox to present a t…

Republic of Congo, also known as Congo-Brazzaville, is located on the western coast of Central Africa and is home to 5.3 million people. In the early 2000s there were approximately 20 physicians per 100,000 persons with 16 hospital beds per 10,000 people.

Where We Work – Republic of Congo

"We were ignorant before we came to the training; there were many things we didn’t know because we didn’t have a book or training. We have to make changes so that we can do our job properly.…

Our Mission

We partner with healthcare facilities to. educate, consult, and advocate. for access to sterile processing resources. Our goal is simple: to make surgery safer by ensuring that every instrument is properly cleaned and sterilized—no matter the setting.…

As an internationally certified Sterile Processing Technician, Christina volunteers on the Africa Mercy—the world’s largest floating hospital. While docked in Freetown, Sierra Leone, Christina visited a local hospital to see the operating theatres, the decontamination and sterilization areas. The unsterile conditions were overwhelming and left her in disbelief. Additional hospital visits confirmed that the poor conditions were not that unusual. Staff who were responsible for sterilizing had no specialized training and were generally nurses who took this on this role as part of their duties. Instrument cleaning was inadequate and there was a high likelihood of cross-contamination. Upon her return to Canada, Christina approached her family and friends to share a vision of starting an organization to do something about what she had seen. The idea for SPECT was born.

Our Story

Where We Work. Our Mission. Get Involved. Get to know us. Connect. Resources. Get involved. The Team. Recent News. Contact Us. Publications. Contact Us. Ways to Give. FAQs. Newsletter. Our Story. Downloads. Ambassadors. Impact your inbox.…

SPECT

Where We Work. Training Resources. Our Team. Frequently Asked Questions. Publications. The Problem.…

SPECT Partners

See our. publications. to read about the impact of our collaborative work. Partnership Location. Uganda. Partnership Start. 2019. Type of Partnership. Maternal Health. FullSoul improves maternal health in Uganda by outfitting hospitals with medical supply kits.…

Providing the tools and education for safe surgical instrument sterilization worldwide is a huge job that we can’t do alone. We need your help to tell others about our work – and to help us raise funds to reach even more countries.

Ways to Give

Your gift helps create sterile surgical environments where they’re needed most. One-time donation. from Canada. Equip Healthcare Workers for Safe Surgery.…

Meet the SPECT founder, team and board members. In 2011 Christina founded SPECT with the help of a small group of volunteers. Christina is a sterile processing educator and mentor who has worked in infection prevention and control since 2006. Christina wears many hats as SPECT’s Executive Director, including curriculum developer, course coordinator, educator and visionary.

Our Team

We would like to acknowledge all past and current volunteers for their contributions to SPECT’s work. Without your efforts we would not be where we are today! See What We Do. Request a Speaker. Frequently Asked Questions. Get Involved. Get to know us. Connect. Resources. Get involved. The Team.…

News – Education and Empowerment

So often, we forget that knowledge is power. If we’re always taught to follow blindly with what we’re told, and not encouraged to think outside the box, why would we ever change the way we’ve always done things? I’m sure all of us can relate this this.…

SPECT is committed to doing all we can to continue supporting health care workers around the globe.

News – SPECT's Response to COVID-19

With the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic affecting millions of people around the world, SPECT is committed to supporting health care workers with infection prevention solutions in any way we can.…

News – Partnering with FullSoul & Rotary International

In partnership with the Rotary Club of Mukono, SPECT and FullSoul will provide sterilization equipment, including instrument baskets, dressing drums and autoclaves where needed.…

Breaking down barriers to safe surgery, a common mission between Arbutus Medical and SPECT

News – Sterilization Training, Breaking Down Another Barrier to Safe Surgery

These observations revealed a root problem in Tanzania’s ORs, one that Fast had seen as causal across low-resource settings where SPECT was involved.…

Apply to be a SPECT ambassador. By joining our Ambassador program, you can build connections within a larger community of other socially minded professionals.

Ambassador Application

We are excited to launch the SPECT Ambassador program to expand knowledge of available resources to sterile processing communities around the world. How it works. Read through the following information. Complete and submit the Ambassador Application below. Role description.…

News – WISE’s 50 Over 50 Award

Based on her work with SPECT and dedication to the sterile processing field, this time last year we were celebrating Christina’s ground-breaking work as our fearless founder, educator, and consultant.…

News – 2021 Update

We reached an exciting milestone – it's been ten years since the idea of SPECT came to be, and we are thrilled to see how this small organization is making a global impact! © Sacha Danesi - danesi@sachadanesi.ch.…

News – Achieving Good Health Together

As a long-time follower of SPECT’s work, what I failed to recognize is just how crucial the organizations work is to the sustainable development of not just specific countries, but to everyone globally.…

SPECT Newsletter

Don't worry, we won't inundate your inbox, we only send out semi-annual updates. View past newsletter issues. Get Involved. Get to know us. Connect. Resources. Get involved. The Team. Recent News. Contact Us. Publications. Contact Us. Ways to Give. FAQs. Newsletter. Our Story. Downloads.…

We're a small organization with big impact. SPECT was founded in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. And while we may be a small organization, we make a big impact. We would love to hear from you. Fill in the form below with your information, and please give us time to respond.

Contact Us

We do not have an office phone, however we would love to hear from you through the contact form below. Mailing Address: SPECT. 5115 Vanstone Crescent NW. Calgary, AB. T3A 0W1, CANADA. Get Involved. Get to know us. Connect. Resources. Get involved. The Team. Recent News. Contact Us. Publications.…

News – SPECT Training in Cameroon

After the course, we held a 2-day Training of Trainers (ToT) program for 10 participants who demonstrated leadership skills, had positive attitudes and excelled on their pre-and post-tests.…

Join our hands-on training for healthcare workers in infection prevention and sterile processing—covering cleaning, packaging, sterilization, and more. Perfect for both frontline staff and those who support them!

Training Program

We tailor the content to fit the cultural and practical needs of each country we work in, ensuring it's relevant and effective. Program Overview. Facility Assessment Tool. Training Resources. Online Resources. Program Objectives. Course Objectives. 1.…

Providing innovative solutions for the 5 billion people worldwide who lack access to safe surgery.

News – An Innovative Solution to Sterile Instrument Processing

We started our capstone project in September 2018, focusing first on the design of the instrument basket.…

This week, Lifebox and Sterile Processing Education Charitable Trust (SPECT) launched a...

News – Lifebox and SPECT Launch Partnership

“We met in Ethiopia working side by side with operating room teams to address the causes of deadly surgical infections through practical techniques and effective teamwork. By working together, we enhance our capacity to improve the outcomes of life-saving surgery around the world.”.…

Where can I get more information about volunteering with SPECT? ... Do I need to be a sterile processor to volunteer? ... What is the minimum commitment? ... How do I apply? ... I’m interested in having SPECT provide training at my hospital. How do I make this happen? ... Can I support the organization without travelling overseas? ...

FAQs

FAQs. FAQs. Frequently Asked Questions. Can't find what you're looking for? Send your questions to. hello@spectrust.org. Get Involved. Get to know us. Connect. Resources. Get involved. The Team. Recent News. Contact Us. Publications. Contact Us. Ways to Give. FAQs. Newsletter. Our Story. Downloads. …

Learn about SPECT news from around the world about sterile instrument processing. We also share updates from volunteers working with SPECT, as well as future updates and programs.

Recent News

News. News. Recent News. Get Involved. Get to know us. Connect. Resources. Get involved. The Team. Recent News. Contact Us. Publications. Contact Us. Ways to Give. FAQs. Newsletter. Our Story. Downloads. Ambassadors. Impact your inbox. Sign up for our newsletter. © 2025 Sterile Processing Education …

SPECT aims to create a platform for sharing of knowledge. However, we need to ensure materials are being used for their intended purposes. We screen applicants, so the more information you provide the easier our decision will be. The pre-requisite for receiving the materials is that you have already attended one of our training sessions, or you’ve had a consultation with one of our facilitators.

Material Requesst

To access the materials we require proof of certificate from participating in our training program. If you are an organization looking to partner, please email us directly at. hello@spectrust.org. Get Involved. Get to know us. Connect. Resources. Get involved. The Team. Recent News. Contact Us.…

Looking for SPECT to present at your event? Complete this form to submit your request. Please permit up to four weeks for a response, and kindly note that due to our small staff size, we may not be able to accommodate your request.

Request a Speaker

Please permit up to four weeks for a response, and kindly note that due to our small staff size, we may not be able to accommodate your request. Get Involved. Get to know us. Connect. Resources. Get involved. The Team. Recent News. Contact Us. Publications. Contact Us. Ways to Give. FAQs.…

SPECT's founder, Christina Fast, speaks with Beyond Clean about SPECT's beginnings.

News – Beyond Clean Podcast: When Tools & Training Are Out Of Reach

While docked in Freetown, Sierra Leone, Christina visited the sterile processing department of a local healthcare facility where she witnessed health care workers responsible for reprocessing surgical instruments who had never received training.…

News – SPECT Celebrates 5 Years

Thank you to everyone who has donated, raised funds, volunteered or supported our work in other ways, we're so grateful for you! 7 African countries. 3 Global partnerships. 94 Hospitals. 60 Clinics. 504 Staff trained. 88 Sterilization units. Get Involved. Get to know us. Connect. Resources.…

News – BMJ Global Health Publication

SPECT's work was recently published in BMJ Global Health, a weekly, open-access, peer-reviewed medical journal. BMJ is one of the world's oldest general medical journals, published by the global knowledge provider. BMJ. , a wholly owned subsidiary of the British Medical Association.…

In 2014, SPECT embarked on an ambitious project - to design and manufacture a simple sterilizer.

News – Implementation of an Innovative Sterilization System in Healthcare Facilities with Limited Resources

In cases where staff adjusted the functioning temperature dials some DHS passed, though most did not. Facility managers were aware of the risks with improperly functioning equipment and lamented the lack of support or resources available to repair or replace the equipment. Table 2.…

Why Sterilization

There are countries where resources are limited, funding is insufficient, and comprehensive training may not exist for each health care worker involved in surgery. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. • • •.…

News – New Partner: Assist International

Throughout this sub-contract we have provided education and training to 24 hospitals in Ethiopia, resulting in over 200 healthcare workers who have increased their skills in effectively cleaning and sterilizing surgical instruments to support safe surgery. Get Involved. Get to know us. Connect.…

On February 7th two of our SPECT team members met with Safe Surgery team members at Calmette...

News – Exciting News from Cambodia

As you can see from the photo, participating members of the Cambodian hospital leadership welcomed us with open arms and are just as excited to get started as we are! From left to right, Professor Lem Dara - team lead for SS2020 at Calmette; Dr.…

An executive summary of SS2020's impact, findings, and best practices.

News – Safe Surgery 2020 Impact Report

We trust that the report will prove useful for governments seeking to prioritize safe surgical care, funders looking to invest in under-funded health priorities, and implementers looking to refine their approaches—and that it will serve as inspiration to the broader general global health audience.…

When I started working with SPECT as a research assistant in Tanzania, I was given the...

News – My Reflections Working with SPECT

During our time in Tanzania, SPECT has made a significant impact on the ten hospitals that we worked with in the Mara and Kagera Regions. One nurse told me: “Staff members are happy with the visible results and changes that have been made since the training”.…