German: Verbund für Angewandte Hygiene e.V.
Association for Applied Hygiene.
Founded in 2004, the association works interdiscliplinarily to support the implementation of scientific findings in hygiene into healthcare practice. Its members include scientific societies, e.g. DGKH, GHU (Gesellschaft für Hygiene und Umweltmedizin; Society for Hygiene and Environmental Medicine), DGHM, and BVAÖGD (Bundesverband der Ärzte des Öffentlichen Gesundheitsdienstes e. V.; Federal Association of Public Health Physicians).
The purpose of the VAH is the user-oriented scientific analysis and implementation of hygienic and hygiene-relevant topics. The VAH issues a list of disinfectants providing an overview of disinfection preparations that have proved to be effective from the hygienic microbiological point of view and thus fulfil the medical and legal requirements for quality assurance of prophylactic disinfection.
The VAH Disinfectants Commission evaluates the listed disinfectants in accordance with the requirements of the DGHM and – in place of the DGHM – certifies the inclusion into the VAH list.
The list comprises all disinfection procedures that have been found effective in accordance with the "Guidelines for testing chemical disinfectants" or the "Catalogue of Requirements" of the DGHM basing on the "Standard methods of the DGHM for testing chemical disinfection procedures" and by the Disinfectants Commission of the German Society for Hygiene and Microbiology in cooperation with representatives of the DGKH (German Association for Hospital Hygiene), GHU (Society for Hygiene and Environmental Medicine), DVV (German Registered Association for Combating Viral Diseases) and the DVG (German Veterinary Medicine Society).
Previously published by the DGHM, the list has been issued by the Disinfectants Commission of the VAH since 01 Jan 2006. It serves as a basis for the selection of appropriate disinfectants for routine and prophylactic disinfection and specifies concentrations and exposure times.
Certification and inclusion into the list can be applied for by presenting two independent expert opinions that follow the DGHM guidelines to the VAH Disinfectants Commission. After successful analysis, the Commission authorises the certificate and inclusion into the VAH list. Listed disinfection values are recommendations and no binding regulation.
