Report Forecasts the Global Disinfection and Sterilization Market to Reach $14 Billion by 2017

In a new report from Research and Markets, "Infection Control Market/Sterilization & Disinfection: Global Forecast to 2017," analysts acknowledge a surge in improved cleaning standards and mounting pressure for sterilized medical devices and disinfection in hospitals and clinics, which has triggered the growth of the medical sterilization and disinfection market.

As the report notes, with an increase in aging population across the globe and a demand for healthcare services, change in the healthcare reimbursement policies is pushing the providers of sterilization and disinfection to improve their operations by providing high-quality service at lower costs. These factors are expected to propel the growth of this market. The overall infection control market will grow at a steady pace of around 6 percent and will reach $14 billion by 2017 from $10.5 billion in 2012.
 
The report adds that with the introduction of technically enhanced instruments in the market like endoscopes and analyzers, there has been an increased need for advanced sterilizers that are compatible with the same. This has brought about a drastic shift from steam sterilizers to low temperature sterilizers with its wide range of technologies such as ethylene oxide (EtO), vaporized hydrogen peroxide (VHP), hydrogen peroxide gas plasma, and ozone gas-based sterilization.
 
The report studies the sterilization services market, which includes healthcare solutions, hospital sterilization services, and applied sterilization technologies. This market, too, has witnessed a rise in demand. Contract sterilization services, in particular, is a common trend due to stringent regulatory requirements imposed by regulatory agencies like International Organization for Standardization (ISO) and the Association for the Advancement of Medical Instrumentation (AAMI). According to the report, original equipment manufacturers (OEMs), hence, prefer outsourcing, as it reduces costs on sterilizing and disinfecting equipment in-house by focusing on their other business core competencies.