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. 2018 Fall;16(S1):S30-S36.
doi: 10.1089/hs.2018.0052.

Establishment of a Sentinel Laboratory-Based Antimicrobial Resistance Surveillance Network in Ethiopia

Carmen Hazim  1 , Rajiha Abubeker Ibrahim  2 , Matthew Westercamp  3 , Gebrie Alebachew Belete  4 , Berhanu Amare Kibret  5 , Theresa Kanter  6 , Getnet Yimer  7 , Thuria Siraj Adem  8 , Kurt B Stevenson  9 , Maritza Urrego  10 , Kashmira N Kale  11 , Michael W Omondi  12 , Daniel VanderEnde  13 , Benjamin J Park  14 , Michele M B Parsons  15 , Kathleen M Gallagher  16
Affiliations

Establishment of a Sentinel Laboratory-Based Antimicrobial Resistance Surveillance Network in Ethiopia

Carmen Hazim et al. Health Secur. 2018 Fall.

Abstract

In 2014, as part of the Global Health Security Agenda, Ethiopia was provided the technical and financial resources needed to prioritize antimicrobial resistance (AMR) in the national public health sphere. Under the direction of a multi-stakeholder working group, AMR surveillance was launched in July 2017 at 4 sentinel sites across the country. The AMR surveillance initiative in Ethiopia represents one of the first systematic efforts to prospectively collect, analyze, and report national-level microbiology results from a network of hospitals and public health laboratories in the country. Baseline readiness assessments were conducted to identify potential challenges to implementation to be addressed through capacity-building efforts. As part of these efforts, the working group leveraged existing resources, initiated laboratory capacity building through mentorship, and established infrastructure and systems for quality assurance, data management, and improved coordination. As a result, AMR surveillance data are being reported and analyzed for use; data from more than 1,700 patients were collected between July 2017 and March 2018. The critical challenges and effective solutions identified through surveillance planning and implementation have provided lessons to help guide successful AMR surveillance in other settings. Ultimately, the surveillance infrastructure, laboratory expertise, and communication frameworks built specifically for AMR surveillance in Ethiopia can be extended for use with other infectious diseases and potential public health emergencies. Thus, building AMR surveillance in Ethiopia has illustrated how laying the foundation for a specific public health initiative can develop capacity for core public health functions with potential benefit.

Keywords: Antimicrobial resistance; Global health security; Laboratory capacity building; Surveillance.

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Figures

Figure 1.
Figure 1.
Implementation milestones for the Ethiopia AMR surveillance working group through July 2018
Figure 2.
Figure 2.
Diagram of the nodal reporting structures providing surveillance data to Ethiopia’s national AMR surveillance system
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

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