In 2019, 1.27 million deaths were directly attributable to antimicrobial resistance (AMR) globally. This makes AMR one of the leading causes of death worldwide. Among its determinant are the overuse and the misuse of antibiotics. For this reason, AMR surveillance is necessary to monitor its progression, improve our understanding of its diffusion and support local efforts to promote appropriate use of antibiotics.
Ongoing project
Actually, in Europe, AMR surveillance is mainly focused on invasive isolates reported for inpatients by hospitals or national agencies (EARS-net). The importance of AMR in primary care is scarcely documented in EU and its burden remains unclear today.
The aim of the proposed Network “BASICS” would be to map existing initiatives and identify needs for AMR Surveillance in Community Settings in Europe. It will rely on experts in AMR surveillance from several countries in Europe that will participate to physical and online workshops during 2 years in order to map the clinical labs structuring and the existing surveillance networks across Europe and to define the priority indicators needed to monitor AMR surveillance in the community.
It is expected that it will help to promote the convergence of national data of AMR surveillance in the community toward an existing or a future European online platform. Once data of AMR available, it would allow a Europe-wide benchmarking and could guide the elaboration of recommendations for appropriate use of antibiotics and serve as a tool for research on the understanding of AMR.
Expected outcomes:
- Mapping of the existing national networks on AMR surveillance in community care across European countries/production of a report
- Consensual list of indicators (i.e. bacterial species and resistance) to monitor through surveillance systems/production of a report
- Definition of the most efficient feedback strategies of surveillance data to combat AMR in the community setting/recommendations on the formatting of data for publication on a platform
Network partners
- Olivier Lemenand, Nantes University Hospital, France (Coordinator)
This network includes 18 partners from 11 countries: Austria, Cyprus, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Portugal, Spain, Switzerland and the United Kingdom.
