Moldova

Moldova is represented in JPIAMR by the National Agency for Research and Development (NARD).

NARD is a central public authority and is responsible for the implementation of research and innovation state policy, including research in health sector. The mission of the NARD is to promote excellence in science and innovation by developing national, bilateral and international co-operations through JPI, ERA-Nets COFUND etc., promoting the concepts of integration of Moldova in ERA, Smart Specialization, Open Science opportunities and serving BHO for the EURAXESS Programme, Moldovan Scientific Diaspora members with RTDI Sector of Moldova. NARD under National Program of Research and Innovation is making investments in research focused on health and wellbeing, including in AMR Surveillance and diagnoses of resistant pathogens. In Moldova, under the Ministry of Health Labour and Social Protection (MHLSP), 9 public research organizations are established in the AMR field that are engaged in infection prevention control and supporting national scientific research for Public Health policy development.

National AMR research program and activities

AMR Research program

The State Program research projects, with strategic priority under the Health-Strategic direction: Epidemiological surveillance – control and response measures, diagnosis and treatment of communicable diseases, entitled Studying the mechanisms of antimicrobial resistance in gram-negative bacilli in order to strengthen the national surveillance system, and Exploration of nosocomial infections in intensive care units and Development of new antibacterial preparations are being carried out in 2020-2023.

National AMR research calls

In 2019, as part of the Global Sewage Project, in partnership with the European Union Reference Laboratory for Antimicrobial Resistance (EURL-AMR) and 67 other countries, studies were done on monitoring the antimicrobial resistance in the environment. In 2020, the study is ongoing and the research will be expanded nationally.

Activities on AMR actions at national level

Conferences

  • Joint Intersectoral Press conference at the MoHLSP to raise awareness on AMR (2017, 2018)
  • Medical conferences (2017, 2018, 2019)

Activities

  • For the first time the Survey on Knowledge, Attitudes, Behavior on antimicrobial Resistance in the WHO European Region was carried out in Republic of Moldova, as part of the “Special Eurobarometer 478” – November 2022
  • Standardization the AMR diagnostic methodology and determining the consumption of antimicrobial preparations:
    • Diagnosis of acute bacterial meningitis: This guideline will help health care specialist in order to standardize diagnosis of acute bacterial meningitis and detecting of AMR isolates
    • The Methodology for determining the formula for calculating the consumption of antibiotics in hospitals was developed: Methodical recommendations. This methodology was used to carry out a study on determining the consumption of antibiotics in hospitals (approx. 64 public medical and sanitary institutions). Defined Daily Dose (DDD) was used, as a statistical measure of drug consumption. As a result, a consumption mapping was done depending on the territorial administrative area.
  • Reporting data to CAESAR (December 2022, april 2023, july 2023) and GLASS (October 2023);
  • Participation in external quality control within the CAESAR network;
  • AMR surveillance network meeting – march 2023;
  • Workshop for professionals (bacteriologists, epidemiologists, veterinarinars) – june and september 2023;
  • Activities for raising the level of awareness on AMR for the general population and professionals;
  • Sharing AMR national data at conferences, meetings and scientific publications.

National action plans

Management Board representative

  • Sveatoslav Postoroncă, National Agency for Research and Development Republic of Moldova
  • Olga Burduniuc, National Agency for Public Health