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Volume 20, Number 3—March 2014
Policy Review

Surveillance for Antimicrobial Drug Resistance in Under-Resourced Countries

Guy VernetComments to Author , Catherine Mary, Dany M. Altmann, Ogobara Doumbo, Susan Morpeth, Zulfiqar A. Bhutta, and Keith P. Klugman
Author affiliations: Fondation Mérieux, Lyon, France (G. Vernet); Avicenne, Lyon (C. Mary); The Wellcome Trust and Imperial College, London, UK (D.M. Altmann); Malaria Research and Training Center, Bamako, Mali (O. Doumbo); Kenya Medical Research Institute–Wellcome Trust Research Programme, Kilifi, Kenya (S. Morpeth); University of Oxford, Oxford, UK (S. Morpeth); The Aga Khan University, Karachi, Pakistan (Z.A. Bhutta); Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia, USA (K.P. Klugman); University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa (K.P. Klugman)

Main Article

Table

Recommendations for efficient antimicrobial drug–resistance surveillance in under-resourced countries

Recommendation
Laboratory improvement
Address both patient management and surveillance needs
Build sustainable capacity (infrastructure, equipment, human resources)
Provide good coordination between clinics and laboratory
Standardize procedures
Identify appropriate diagnostic tests for antimicrobial drug resistance (e.g., molecular tests for uncultivable or slow-growing bacteria or for organisms in which resistance is linked to a single gene
Logistical needs
Avoid shortage of reagents; address both resources and supply chain
Ensure appropriate specimen collection and transport to the laboratory
Political will
Backed by hospital management
Endorsed by policy makers
Standardized antimicrobial drug resistance results: resistance index
Leverage successful experiences
Integrate drug resistance surveillance to other public health measures aimed at curbing the spread of pathogens
Start small; increase gradually
Take advantage of existing networks targeting specific diseases (HIV, malaria, tuberculosis)

Main Article

1Current affiliation: Centre Pasteur du Cameroun, Yaoundé, Cameroon.

Page created: February 19, 2014
Page updated: February 19, 2014
Page reviewed: February 19, 2014
The conclusions, findings, and opinions expressed by authors contributing to this journal do not necessarily reflect the official position of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, the Public Health Service, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, or the authors' affiliated institutions. Use of trade names is for identification only and does not imply endorsement by any of the groups named above.
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