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Abstract Injections are one of the most common medical procedures used in the world. In 2000, the Safe Injection Global Network (SIGN) estimated that approximately 16 billion injections are given annually all over the world.(1, 2) Many injections are used unnecessarily when oral medication would be better. In addition, in settings with limited resources, more than half of all injections are given with disposable syringes reused without sterilization or high level disinfection.(3) In 2000, the World Health Organization (WHO) estimated that 39% of injections in developing and transitional countries are unsafe and the proportion is estimated to be as high as 70% in WHO South East Asian region (including India).(1,4) Breaks in safe injection practices coupled with overuse of injections may expose the recipients, healthcare workers, or the community to several harms including life-threatening infections like hepatitis B, hepatitis C and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV).(5,6) Patient to patient transmission and patient to health worker transmission results from unsafe practice with contaminated equipment. Patient to community transmission can occur when used injection equipment is not properly disposed or is reused.(7) An injection is a skin piercing procedure performed with a syringe and needle in order to introduce a substance into the body for prophylactic or curative purposes. This excludes all other skin piercing procedures such as surgery, tattoos and body piercing.(8) A safe injection is defined by WHO as injection that does not harm the recipient, does not expose the provider to any avoidable risk and does not result in waste that is dangerous to other people.(9) An unsafe injection is defined as the injection that may cause harm to recipient, the health worker or the community.(5) An unnecessary injection is injection given where oral alternatives are available, where the injected substance is inappropriate or harmful, or where the symptoms or diagnosis do not warrant treatment by injection.(7) |