The South-East Asia Region Antimicrobial Stewardship 2022 Webinar Series

Background

Universal access to high-quality and affordable antimicrobials is an essential component of universal health coverage (UHC). Access to high-quality and affordable antimicrobials to combat communicable diseases is a challenge in many settings affecting the quality of health care. On the other hand, inappropriate use of antimicrobial agents across human, animal, and environmental sectors is among the main drivers of antimicrobial resistance (AMR).

WHO defines antimicrobial stewardship (AMS) as a coherent set of integrated actions which promote the responsible and appropriate use of antimicrobials to help improve patient outcomes across the continuum of care. Responsible and appropriate use of antimicrobials includes prescribing only when needed, selection of the optimal drug regimen, drug dosing, route of administration and duration of treatment following proper and optimized diagnosis.

The WHO Thirteenth General Programme of Work (GPW 13) has identified AMR as a priority with significant relevance to its Triple Billion targets of achieving UHC, addressing health emergencies and promoting healthier populations. WHO has developed tools to assist AMS activities at health-care facility level in low- and middle income countries, which have helped to advance implementation at national level as well as within health-care facilities and clinical practice.

Purpose of the Series of Webinars

The series of webinars responds to demand from some Member States for a guidance on how to implement comprehensive and integrated national antimicrobial stewardship activities in a programmatic approach anchored in public health guiding principles.

The overall aim of the webinar series is to provide in-depth training on the development and implementation of Antimicrobial Stewardship programs & policies at national and health-care facility level in low-and-middle income countries (LMIC).  

The specific objectives of the webinar series are to:

• Develop an understanding of antimicrobial stewardship (AMS) programs and their importance to public health to combat antimicrobial resistance
• Expand participants’ knowledge and skills on how to set up national and health-care facility level AMS programs in countries of the WHO South-East Asia Region using the WHO AMS toolkit.
• Prepare participants to provide technical assistance to national and local counterparts to develop/ maintain effective AMS programs; linked with other policies and interventions, to optimize use of antibiotics and reduce risk of antimicrobial resistance at national / local level.  

Expected Outputs from the Webinar Series:

The webinar series is expected to lead to:

• Improved awareness by participants on antimicrobial stewardship (AMS) programs and their importance to public health to combat antimicrobial resistance
• Support Member States in upgrading knowledge and skills on AMS programs scale up at national and health-care facility using the WHO AMS toolkit.
• Build regional capacity to provide technical assistance to national and local counterparts to develop/ maintain effective AMS programs; linked with other policies and interventions, to promote optimal use of antibiotics and reduce risk of antimicrobial resistance at national / local level.
• Promote rational use of antimicrobials.

The webinar series will be based on the Global Action Plan, the WHO Practical Toolkit for Antimicrobial Stewardship Programmes in Health Care Facilities in Low- and Middle-income countries, WHO Guidance on Integrated Antimicrobial Stewardship Activities and other WHO guidance.

Target Audience of the Webinar Series

This will be an open webinar series. The primary target audiences of this guidance are national policymakers at Ministries of Health, national AMR coordinating bodies such as national AMR steering or coordinating committees. The clinicians, infectious disease physicians, pharmacists and nurses involved in the clinical management of and use on antimicrobials.

Mode of Delivery

The webinar series will be conducted virtually using WHO Zoom platforms. The registration link will be shared widely in the region using various professional platforms. Participants who attend 80% of the sessions will be awarded a AMS completion certification. 

Tentative Agenda of the Webinar Series