Lalitpur, Nepal (12th February, 2018)
Group for Technical Assistance and Public Health Concern Trust Nepal (phect) in collaboration and with technical support from Henry Ford Health System (HFHS) Global Health Initiative and Division of Infectious Disease organized a dissemination meeting program for assessing and promoting antimicrobial stewardship in Kathmandu.
Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) happens when microbes such as bacteria change over time as they are exposed to drugs. AMR causes drugs to be less effective and diseases more difficult to treat. AMR is a major public health, environmental and social concern. Countering AMR requires long-term investments, including financial and technical support for countries, development of new ways to prevent and treat disease, diagnostic tools, and strengthening health systems to ensure more appropriate use of and access to antimicrobial agents.
The antimicrobial stewardship programme was introduced at the mid of 2016 in Kathmandu Model and Kirtipur Hospitals. Antibiotic treatment guidelines were adapted for use in Nepal. Selected physicians were trained to lead their departments in improving how antibiotics are used in hospital settings. As a result of the program, trained physicians became more knowledgeable and aware of antimicrobial resistance and antibiotic prescribing practices within the hospitals changed. These first steps will support continued development of antimicrobial stewardship programmes in Kathmandu and elsewhere in Nepal.
There are a number of AMR educational curricula and stewardship programmes for health care workers. Like other health interventions and programmes, AMR also needs to be adapted to local contexts and hence evaluated to assess their effectiveness. For this ensuring global resistance by implementing locally effective education and training on antimicrobial use and stewardship for health care workers is fundamental to secure the health of populations. In addition, to this educational resource for AMR should be carefully integrated with related initiatives within countries because ultimately the goal is to ensure HCWs rational use of antibiotics by embedding these educational resources (such as training curricula and syllabi, licensing and certification mechanisms, competencies assessment and supervision strategies) in national mechanisms for health workers? pre-service education and in-service training.