Jean-Baptiste Ronat1, Alessandra Natale2, Thomas Kesteman3, Antoine Andremont4, Wael Elamin5, Liselotte Hardy6, Rupa Kanapathipillai7, Justine Michel2, Céline Langendorf8, Olivier Vandenberg9, Thierry Naas10, Felix Kouassi2. 1. Médecins Sans Frontières, Paris, France; Team ReSIST, INSERM U1184, School of Medicine University Paris-Saclay, France; Bacteriology-Hygiene Unit, Assistance Publique - Hôpitaux de Paris, Bicêtre Hospital, Le Kremlin-Bicêtre, France. Electronic address: jean-baptiste.ronat@paris.msf.org. 2. Médecins Sans Frontières, Paris, France. 3. Oxford University Clinical Research Unit, Hanoi, Viet Nam. 4. Microbiology Department, Paris University, Paris, France. 5. Clinical Microbiology Department, Queen Mary University, London, UK; Clinical Microbiology Department, Elrazi University, Khartoum, Sudan. 6. Unit Tropical Bacteriology, Department of Clinical Sciences, Institute of Tropical Medicine, Antwerp, Belgium. 7. Médecins Sans Frontières, New-York, USA. 8. Epicentre, Paris, France. 9. Center for Environmental Health and Occupational Health, School of Public Health, Université Libre de Bruxelles, Brussels, Belgium; Innovation and Business Development Unit, Laboratoire Hospitalier Universitaire de Bruxelles, Brussels, Belgium; Division of Infection and Immunity, University College London, London, UK. 10. Team ReSIST, INSERM U1184, School of Medicine University Paris-Saclay, France; Bacteriology-Hygiene Unit, Assistance Publique - Hôpitaux de Paris, Bicêtre Hospital, Le Kremlin-Bicêtre, France.
Abstract
BACKGROUND: In low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), data related to antimicrobial resistance (AMR) are often inconsistently collected. Humanitarian, private and non-governmental medical organizations (NGOs), working with or in parallel to public medical systems, are sometimes present in these contexts. Yet, what is the role of NGOs in the fight against AMR, and how can they contribute to AMR data collection in contexts where reporting is scarce? How can context-adapted, high-quality clinical bacteriology be implemented in remote, challenging and underserved areas of the world? OBJECTIVES: The aim was to provide an overview of AMR data collection challenges in LMICs and describe one initiative, the Mini-Lab project developed by Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF), that attempts to partially address them. SOURCES: We conducted a literature review using PubMed and Google scholar databases to identify peer-reviewed research and grey literature from publicly available reports and websites. CONTENT: We address the necessity of and difficulties related to obtaining AMR data in LMICs, as well as the role that actors outside of public medical systems can play in the collection of this information. We then describe how the Mini-Lab can provide simplified bacteriological diagnosis and AMR surveillance in challenging settings. IMPLICATIONS: NGOs are responsible for a large amount of healthcare provision in some very low-resourced contexts. As a result, they also have a role in AMR control, including bacteriological diagnosis and the collection of AMR-related data. Actors outside the public medical system can actively contribute to implementing and adapting clinical bacteriology in LMICs and can help improve AMR surveillance and data collection.
BACKGROUND: In low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), data related to antimicrobial resistance (AMR) are often inconsistently collected. Humanitarian, private and non-governmental medical organizations (NGOs), working with or in parallel to public medical systems, are sometimes present in these contexts. Yet, what is the role of NGOs in the fight against AMR, and how can they contribute to AMR data collection in contexts where reporting is scarce? How can context-adapted, high-quality clinical bacteriology be implemented in remote, challenging and underserved areas of the world? OBJECTIVES: The aim was to provide an overview of AMR data collection challenges in LMICs and describe one initiative, the Mini-Lab project developed by Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF), that attempts to partially address them. SOURCES: We conducted a literature review using PubMed and Google scholar databases to identify peer-reviewed research and grey literature from publicly available reports and websites. CONTENT: We address the necessity of and difficulties related to obtaining AMR data in LMICs, as well as the role that actors outside of public medical systems can play in the collection of this information. We then describe how the Mini-Lab can provide simplified bacteriological diagnosis and AMR surveillance in challenging settings. IMPLICATIONS: NGOs are responsible for a large amount of healthcare provision in some very low-resourced contexts. As a result, they also have a role in AMR control, including bacteriological diagnosis and the collection of AMR-related data. Actors outside the public medical system can actively contribute to implementing and adapting clinical bacteriology in LMICs and can help improve AMR surveillance and data collection.