Network of European and African Researchers on Antimicrobial Resistance
Surveillance
- Adam Roberts, Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, United Kingdom (Coordinator)
- Michael Brouwer, Wageningen University & Research, Netherlands (Observer)
- Teresa M Coque, Ramón y Cajal Institute for Health Research (IRYCIS), Spain (Observer)
- Sabiha Yusuf Essack, University of KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa (Observer)
- Nicholas Feasey, University of Malawi, College of Medicine, Malawi (Observer)
- Bruno González Zorn, Complutense University, Spain (Observer)
- Matthew Holden, University of St Andrews, United Kingdom (Observer)
- Shevin Jacob, Infectious Diseases Institute, Uganda (Observer)
- Nina Langeland, University of Bergen, Norway (Observer)
- Joel Manyahi, Muhimbili University of Health and Allied Sciences, United Republic of Tanzania (Observer)
- Jaap Wagenaar, Utrecht University, Netherlands (Observer)
- Lawrence Mugisha, Makerere University (MAK), Uganda (Observer)
- Emmanuel Nsutebu, Royal Liverpool Hospital and the African Sepsis Alliance, United Kingdom (Observer)
- Remy Pacifique Ntirenganya, Partners In Health, Liberia (Observer)
- Luísa Peixe, University of Porto, Portugal (Observer)
- Maja Rupnik, National laboratory for health, environment and food, Slovenia (Observer)
- Courage Saba, University for Development Studies, Ghana (Observer)
- Wangari Waweru-Siika, Aga Khan University, Kenya (Observer)
- Andrew Singer, UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology, United Kingdom (Observer)
- Patrizia Spigaglia, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Italy (Observer)
- Arnfinn Sundsfjord, Arctic University of Norway, Norway (Observer)
- Maha Talaat, World Health Organization (WHO), Egypt (Observer)
- Thomas Van Boeckel, ETH Zurich, Switzerland (Observer)
- Nicola Williams, University of Liverpool, United Kingdom (Observer)
A unique aspect of NEAR-AMR is the geographical spread of its members who are from countries representing a range of different socio-economic and resource settings from two continents: Africa and Europe. The personal experiences and insights from NEAR-AMR members who are from all stages of their careers and who are from a diverse range of fields spanning the entire One Health spectrum (including Pharmacists and clinicians, academics, veterinarians and environmental scientists), has allowed us to formulate a unique perspective on two important topics relevant to the formation of the JPIAMR Virtual Research Institute (VRI). Firstly we have analysed the globally available reporting platforms for antimicrobial resistance (AMR) surveillance data. We have found the existing platform Global Antimicrobial Resistance Surveillance System (GLASS) supported by the World Health Organisation (WHO) is working well at national scales and is also aspirational for countries with developing healthcare infrastructure. We have also explored the benefits of reporting AMR surveillance data at more local scales and found that there are in fact two sources of information that currently exist which are not utilised as well as they could be. These are prescription data and sales data in the clinical and veterinary / agricultural fields respectively. We have an opportunity to utilise this data, which exists in almost all resource settings, in order to spot local outbreaks of resistance which could result in a change of prescription practices hospital, regional and national scales and in real time. Secondly; we have investigated the most important training needs for early career researchers and, following discussions and a survey amongst NEAR-AMR members, concluded that strengthening knowledge in the field of diagnostics for infection, closely followed by increasing fundamental knowledge of antibiotics and the use of microbiological results in the clinic would be the top three training priorities. These recommendations will be made to the JPIAMR to inform the development of the VRI.
