Unprecedented Gathering of Asia Pacific Medical Societies to Respond to the Impact of Antibiotic Resistance on All People

/ -- In anticipation of World Antibiotic Awareness Week (18-24 November) the Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) Summit Expert Group and the Antimicrobial Stewardship (AMS) Working Group convened in Bangkok, Thailand, in a first-ever regional effort to combat the 'silent tsunami' of antimicrobial resistance. At the Joint Asia Pacific AMR Summit-AMS Working Group Meeting, which took place over the weekend of 26-27 October, 17 leaders from clinical microbiology, infection control, infectious disease and critical care societies in Asia Pacific made actionable plans to empower governments, hospital administrators, healthcare professionals and the public to address this epidemic. It is projected that by 2050, annually more than 4.7 million people in Asia Pacific will die from infections previously curable by antibiotics, representing the highest projected death toll globally.[1]The economic burden and strain on local healthcare systems would be equally astronomical.

Factors unique to the Asia Pacific (including environmental, socio-economic, agricultural, geographic and demographic) mean the region acts as an epicenter for antimicrobial resistance that impacts healthcare systems.[2],[3] Home to 60% of the world's population, many of the region's low- and middle-income countries also have less stringent healthcare policies, and antibiotics are often easily available.[4] In Thailand alone, more than US$170 million was spent on antibiotics in 2010, and at least 88,000 infections were antimicrobial resistant, resulting in at least 3.24 million additional days in hospital, and 38,000 deaths.[5]
Professor Cheng-Hsun Chiu, co-chairperson of the meeting, emphasized the importance of combined efforts between local governments, hospital administrators, and pharmaceutical companies to drive public awareness, and practice and policy change. "A long-term solution involves public education, but healthcare professionals also need to be re-educated about proper antibiotic practices. We also need decision-makers and leaders at a government and institutional level to champion and drive initiatives on antimicrobial stewardship, surveillance, diagnostics and access to novel antimicrobial agents."
Table. 12 core interventions to promote the success of antimicrobial stewardship+
1. A mandated multi-disciplinary national body to coordinate surveillance and appropriate use of antimicrobials
2. National clinical guidelines for diagnosis, prevention and treatment of infections*
3. Novel treatment and essential antimicrobial list based on treatments of choice
4. Strengthening drugs and therapeutics committees in districts and hospitals
5. Problem-based AMS and infection control training in undergraduate curricula
6. Continuing medical education on AMS as a licensure requirement
7. Supervision, audit and feedback
8. Independent information on antimicrobials
9. Public education about appropriate use of antimicrobials and consequences of antimicrobial misuse
10. Avoidance of perverse financial incentives
11. Appropriate and enforced regulation for antimicrobial use and disposal
12. Sufficient government expenditure to ensure availability of antimicrobials, diagnostics, and staff to tackle AMR issues
References
About AMR Summit Expert Group
About Antimicrobial Stewardship Working Group
APPENDIX
The following medical societies were represented at the AMR Summit and AMS Working Group initiatives:
Indonesia:
Indonesian Society for Clinical Microbiology
The Indonesian Society of Tropical and Infectious Diseases
Japan:
The Japanese Society for Infection Prevention and Control
Malaysia:
Malaysian Society of Infectious Diseases and Chemotherapy
Philippines: