News on ESCMID's AMR activities


Fighting Antimicrobial Resistance is a core activity within ESCMID. Here you can get an overview on larger ESCMID activities in this field.

WAAW Campaign 2021

ESCMID is proud to participate in World Antimicrobial Awareness Week (WAAW)! This WHO initiative aims to increase awareness of global antimicrobial resistance (AMR) and to encourage best practices among the general public, health workers and policy makers to avoid the further emergence and spread of drug-resistant infections. The 2021 theme, Spread Awareness, Stop Resistance, calls on One Health stakeholders, policymakers, health care providers, and the general public to be Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) Awareness champions.

 

You can learn more about this campaign and find materials to share and join in the conversation here.

Our World and AMR - ESGAP interactive map

Antimicrobial resistance has affected much more than just how healthcare professionals treat patients and the ways in which we conduct research as scientists in Infecitous Diseases and Clinical Microbiology. To this end, our ESCMID Study Group for Antimicrobial Stewardship (ESGAP) have collected short interviews and stories from ESCMID members across Europe and beyond to tell us how AMR impacts their work, and the lives and outcomes of their patients and their personal reflections on solutions, challenges, and things we can do differently. We collected all of thesubmissions and put together an interactive map to highlight the global nature of this crisis and show how AMR impacts different parts of the world differently.

 

Check out the interactive map here.

ESCMID featured in Global Cause Antimicrobial Resistance campaign 2021

We are supporting the Antimicrobial Resistance campaign for 2021 alongside MediaPlanet and Global Cause. The campaign features exclusive content aiming to showcase how you can tackle AMR through addressing sociocultural inequities from key thought leaders including Dr Esmita Charani our very own ESCMID Study Group for Antimicrobial Stewardship (ESGAP) Science Officer and Dr Nathan Peiffer-Smadja the 2021 TAE Outstanding Trainee Awardee!

 

Visit the website to read the article and learn more here.

ESCMID featured in Global Cause Antimicrobial Resistance campaign 2020

We recently worked with Global Cause on the 2020 Antimicrobial Resistance campaign. The campaign featured exclusive content from key thought leaders and industry voices on the latest on the responsible use of antibiotics and awareness of global antimicrobial resistance (AMR) including our own President Professor Maurizio Sanguinetti. He was featured in the article "Rapid antimicrobial resistance detection for MDR infections"

 

Check out the online publication here

WAAW Campaign 2020

ESCMID is proud to participate in this year's World Antimicrobial Awareness Week (WAAW)! This WHO initiative aims to increase awareness of global antimicrobial resistance (AMR) and to encourage best practices among the general public, health workers and policy makers to avoid the further emergence and spread of drug-resistant infections.

 

This year the WAAW 2020 campaign theme is is “United to preserve antimicrobials" and is taking place from November 18 - 24.

 

You can learn more about this campaign and find materials to share and join in the conversation on their website here.

ESCMID featured in Global Cause Infectious Diseases campaign 2020

We recently worked with Global Cause on the Infectious Diseases campaign. The campaign featured exclusive content from key thought leaders and industry voices the latest discoveries in infection control and prevention including our own President Professor Maurizio Sanguinetti. He was featured in the article "Rapid antimicrobial resistance detection for early directed therapies against infectious diseases"

 

A printed publication was enclosed within every copy of New Scientist magazine and the content is available online here

ESCMID/ASM Conference on Drug Development to Meet the Challenge of Antimicrobial Resistance 2020

Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) remains an existential threat to human health. Despite investment from public-private initiatives the development of new antimicrobials to meet the challenge of AMR remains extremely challenging. ESCMID is proud to host the 5th ASM-ESCMID Conference on Drug Development to Meet the Challenge of Antimicrobial Resistance, which will be held in Dublin. This increasingly popular meeting is well attended by academics, regulators and funding agencies/ bodies. The meeting is focussed on the challenges of developing new agents for AMR that stretches from medicinal chemistry right through to the collective efforts of the international community to produce new antibiotics. If you are in the business of discovering and developing new drugs, you cannot miss this meeting.

 

Keep up with the events program on the website, and you can view the announcement flyer here.

ESGAP and SPLIF Antimicrobial Stewardship: a hands-on course and workshop

Organised by ESGAP, and French infectious diseases society (SPILF) the Antimicrobial Stewardship: a hands-on course and workshop will take place on 16-17 April 2020 in Paris, France. The objectives of this workshop are to understand the principles and scientific background of antimicrobial stewardship programs and intervention, to understand the sociocultural, ethical, and behavioural aspects involved in the implementation of stewardship interventions and to train in the application of day-to-day stewardship interventions.

 

See the final programme flyer to read more.

JPIAMR Hacking AMR 2019

JPIAMR is organising an international hackathon in Stockholm 13-15 December 2019: Hacking AMR 2019 – Using the digital world to fight antimicrobial resistance. The hackathon aims to bring together scientists, designers, patients, developers, innovators, students and entrepreneurs to collaborate, dream up & create solutions to real-world problems to improve human, animal and environmental health and well-being with regards to AMR.

 

Hacking AMR 2019 is a fun, hands-on, intense, 3-day event that seeks to produce innovative digital work products/mock-ups/prototypes that can bring concrete, actionable solutions to address the issue of Antimicrobial Resistance. Check the website to see the full programme

Antimicrobial Resistance Conference, Panama City

Together with the Pan-American Association for Infectiology, the Spanish Society for Infectious Diseases and Clinical Microbiology, Clinical Microbiology and Infection and The Lancet Infectious Diseases, ESCMID is organizing the conference:

Antimicrobial resistance in the 21st century: a global threat

28 – 29 November 2019, Panama City, Panama

You can find out more on the conference website, registrations are now open! Attendance grants are available for ESCMID members.

ESCMID featured in Global Cause Antimicrobial awareness campaign 2019

Global Cause is a Mediaplanet website that publishes information and personal insight stories reflecting the health, wealth and well-being of our world. Featuring leading experts, top influencers and real-life case studies, we aim to inform, educate and engage our readers. Global Cause offers a wide range of information, advice and inspiration to healthcare professionals, policy makers and members of the public.

 

Last year our own president Jesús Rodriguez Baño was featured in their Antibiotic ressitance awreness campaign. You can find the full e-print here.

This year they will run another antimicrobial resistance awareness campaign for World Antibiotic Awareness Week featuring ESCMID. You can find out more on the website here

ESGAP - Grants for the 5th ESGAP antibiotics course

ESGAP will organize its 5th European antibiotics course in Valencia, Spain from Thursday, March 26th to Saturday, March 28th 2020. In an intensive three-day program, clinical experts cover the basics of antibiotic therapy, and will discuss the rationale behind the antibiotic treatment regimens of the most relevant infections for medical specialists.

For further details on the course see: www.antibioticscourse.com.

For this edition, ESGAP offers ten participation grants. Recipients of the ESGAP-grants will be offered registration at the discounted rate of €75. Note that the grant does not cover travel or stay. In awarding the grants preference will be given to (1) ESCMID-members, (2) doctors at the beginning of their career (<40 years). A geographical and gender-balance will be pursued.

To apply for a grant, please send a short motivation letter (max 200 words) and curriculum (max 1 A4 sheet) to the ESGAP secretary Tomislav Kostyanev: Tomislav.Kostyanev[at]uantwerpen.be 

The deadline to apply for a grant is December 1st 2019.

Meet ESCMID at the ERS International Congress 2019

If you are in Madrid to attend the ERS International Congress 2019, come and meet us in the World Village, Desk 20: we will be happy to answer your questions and listen to your expectations for the future of our society. ESCMID will not only be present in the World Village, but will also contribute to the scientific programme of the congress with the Symposium “Fighting antimicrobial resistance: from prevention to antimicrobial stewardship”, Sunday 29th, 10:45-12:15. Moreover, the ATS/ESCMID/ERS/IDSA clinical practice guideline will be presented in the session “New guidelines for treatment of nontuberculous mycobacterial pulmonary disease”, Monday 30th, 14:45-16:45. We look forward to seeing you!

ASM/ESCMID Conference on Drug Development to Meet the Challenge of Antimicrobial Resistance – Boston, United States

Don’t miss out on our annual collaborative event with ASM, the Conference on Drug Development to Meet the Challenge of Antimicrobial Resistance. Co-sponsored by the American Society for Microbiology (ASM) and the European Society for Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases (ESCMID), this multidisciplinary meeting will address the challenges, opportunities and current requirements for antimicrobial drug development for AMR.

Find out more on the conference website.

EUCIC Infection Prevention and Control Certificate – New programme opening in 2020

Registrations are now being accepted for the next EUCIC Infection Prevention and Control Certificate programme, to commence in 2020.

 

You can find out more about the programme and register on the EUCIC website

 

The EU Council approved and publish the “Conclusions on the next steps towards making the EU a best practice region in combatting antimicrobial resistance”

On 26 March 2019, the Romanian presidency of the Council of the European Union (EU) submitted a “Draft conclusions on the next steps towards making the EU a best practice region in combatting antimicrobial resistance” to the Council. Starting from June 2019, the final document is approved and adopted. ESCMID strongly contributed to the work of the EU presidency in the elaboration of this text and we proudly announce that several of ESCMID suggestions have been taken on board. For further details, please find here the complete official document.

ESCMID Postgraduate Course on drug resistant Gram-negatives in Greece

The postgraduate education course ‘Phenotypic and Molecular approaches for Detection and Control of Carbapenem- and Colistin-resistant Gram-negatives’, is to be held in Volos, Greece, from 23-24 May, 2019. Organised by ESGARS and ESGMD, this course will comprise state-of-the-art lectures dealing with phenotypic and molecular diagnostic approaches of multi-resistant nosocomial pathogens.

EUCAST proposes to revise aminoglycoside breakpoints

The role of aminoglycosides as monotherapy for infections outside the urinary tract has diminished over time. A meta-analysis carried out several years ago agreed with this conclusion. Recent PK-PD target attainment analyses also support the need for a review of aminoglycoside breakpoints. Even at maximum exposure dosing regimens, breakpoints based on conventional PK-PD endpoints split relevant MIC wild type distributions. The proposed changes therefore revolve around the use of ECOFFs as breakpoints, but only for mono-therapy of infections related to the urinary tract. For other infection types, a NOTE instead of a breakpoint would be added. The NOTE suggests that aminoglycosides can be used only as part of combination therapy and only if the phenotypic test indicates that the organism belongs to the wild type for the aminoglycoside.

ESGAP-SWAB Technical Workshop on measuring quantity and quality of antimicrobial use – 11-12 April 2019

"If you do not measure, you cannot improve it" (Lord Kelvin) is a paradigm that is especially true for Antimicrobial Stewardship Programs. International Guidelines consider it very important to make use of the large amount of data that we -willingly or unwillingly- collect in everyday practice. The main goal of this ESGAP/SWAB course is to provide participants with practical tools to measure, interpret and present data on the quantity and quality of antimicrobial use in their facilities. Experts in the field) will guide them through this process.

GARDP websymposium series - Antibacterial drugs: Clinical development for non-developers Part 3: Non-traditional approaches

The Global Antibiotic R&D Partnership (GARDP) has created REVIVE to connect and support the antimicrobial discovery, research, and development community. On 28 March 2019, GARDP will broadcast a new REVIVE websymposium. David Shlaes (Anti-infectives consulting) will host the third part of the series “Clinical development for non-developers” where he will discuss Antibacterial Drug Enhancer Combinations and Non-traditional Products with Ian Friedland (Clinical consultant), Sumathi Nambiar (FDA), and Mair Powell (Health Products Regulatory Authority Ireland). The presentations will be followed by an interactive Q&A session.

Register now: https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/1324593047084280834?source=ESCMID

GARDP websymposium on NIAID Resources to Facilitate Discovery & Development of Anti-Infectives

Our colleagues at GARDP are hosting a websymposium on February 21, 17:00-18:30 (CET), where Ann Eakin (US National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, NIAID) will provide an overview of the various mechanisms of support offered by NIAID to facilitate the discovery and development of drugs, vaccines and diagnostics targeting infectious diseases. The types of support that will be discussed are grants and contracts, as well as preclinical and clinical research services that aim to reduce risk and advance product development efforts. Researchers from any country and from any type of institution (academia, industry, non-profit) are eligible to apply for nearly all types of support mechanisms offered by NIAID, irrespective of prior or current NIH funding.

Ann's presentation will be complemented by a short presentation of Dan Pevear, Founder and Senior Vice President, Biology and Grants Development, VenatoRx Pharmaceuticals, in which he will share VenatoRx' experience with NIAID support mechanisms.

The presentations will be followed by a Q&A session.

You can register at the GARDP website.

Launch of Europe-wide survey of healthcare workers’ knowledge and attitudes about antibiotic use and resistance

On 28 January 2019, an ECDC-funded survey to assess healthcare workers’ knowledge and perceptions about antibiotic use and resistance launched across Europe. Previous studies have mostly focused on the general public and medical students, highlighting a gap in the understanding of these topics by healthcare workers and by other health students.

Following a process of validation and piloting across Europe, the survey is now available for completion. 

The study closes on 14 February 2019.

Combatting Antimicrobial Resistance in Europe

Combatting Antimicrobial Resistance in Europe (COMBACTE) is a key project of the European Commissions’ New Drugs For Bad Bugs (ND4BB) programme, which together with the Innovative Medicines Initiative (IMI) is part of the collaborative R&D efforts to tackle antimicrobial resistance. With 55 academic partners and 11 EFPIA partners, COMBACTE is a private-public partnership in which industry and academia join forces to boost the development of novel treatments.
Watch the video showcasing COMBACTE’s solid foundation for conducting high quality multiple multisite international clinical trials in the area of antimicrobial drugs development.

EUCAST Rapid AST directly from blood culture bottles now available

EUCAST has published specific methods, QC criteria and breakpoints for rapid AST directly from positive blood culture bottles. The method has been developed to be robust enough to allow blood culture systems and other materials from several manufacturers. For several pathogens, disk diffusion plates can be read after 4 hours and for others after 6 or 8 hours. It is with currently used techniques probably not possible to perform faster phenotypic antimicrobial susceptibility testing. Read more about the fast method on http://www.eucast.org/rapid_ast_in_blood_cultures/ 

 

ESCMID President honored by Spanish Ministry of Health

Last Friday, during the celebration of the European Antibiotic Awareness Day in Spain, Jesus Rodríguez-Baño received the Research Award of the Spanish Plan Against Antimicrobial Resistance from the Ministry of Health.

GARDP websymposium: Making Safety a Part of Drug Design

The Global Antibiotic R&D Partnership (GARDP) has created REVIVE to connect and support the antimicrobial discovery, research, and development community. GARDP is starting a REVIVE websymposium series to share the real-life experience of experts in antimicrobial drug R&D. On 13 November, 17:00 – 18:30 CET , GARDP will broadcast a websymposium with Claire Sadler. After viewing Claire’s presentation “Making Safety a Part of Drug Design” from the GARDP/CARB-X co-organized “Antibiotic Bootcamp for Developers: Preclinical Toxicology” at the ESCMID/ASM Conference on Drug Development to Meet the Challenge of Antimicrobial Resistance 2018, you will have the chance to ask your questions in an interactive Q&A session.

Register here: https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/6804423759923568898?source=ESCMID

1st Multidisciplinary Forum on Antimicrobial Resistance

The Spanish Society of Infectious Diseases and Clinical Microbiology (SEIMC), an ESCMID affiliated society, together with the Spanish Society of Hospital Pharmacy (SEFH) and the Spanish Society of Preventive Medicine, Public Health and Hygiene (SEMPSPH) organized the 1st Multidisciplinary Forum on Antimicrobial Resistance in the Spanish Parliament. Representatives of the organising societies and Members of Parliament discussed about the situation of antimicrobial resistance in Spain, and the actions to be undertaken, including the approval of Infectious Diseases as a recognized medical specialty and the need to keep the successful training programme for Clinical Microbiology in its present format. ESCMID contributed to the event with a talk by our President.

ESGAP publishes the results of the LEASH survey, the Legal framework for Antimicrobial Stewardship in Hospitals

Beovic et al publish the results of a cross-sectional international survey inquiring experts in 32 European countries (plus Israel and Turkey) on the legal framework and components required by legislation or regulators in their countries to implement AMS activities. Responses from 25 countries and two regions (in countries with federal health administration) revealed that laws regulating AMS existed in 7 countries and in one region, whereas other regulations existed in 13 countries and in one region; no regulations existed in five countries and in one region. Funding for AMS activities in hospitals was available in five countries and in one region. Mandatory AMS structures and activities existed in 8 countries and in one region. However, in 10/27 cases, such activities were not fully carried out. Overall, the survey showed heterogeneous legal frameworks for AMS in hospitals across countries, which could lead to critical situations in countries with poor control of antimicrobial use and resistance. The authors emphasize the recent international initiatives calling on policy-makers to address the threat of AMR.

ICOHAR registration and abstract submission now open

The International Conference on One Health Antimicrobial Resistance (ICOHAR), supported by ESCMID and ESGVM, is taking place immediately after ECCMID in Utrecht, Netherlands.

Abstract submission for this conference is also now open.

See the program and register here!

Conference on antimicrobial resistance from 26 – 28 September 2018 in Cuba

ESCMID AMR conference on antimicrobial resistance from bench to practice, takes place in Havana, Cuba, from 26 – 28 September 2018. Latin America is a hotbed for many well-known and emerging infectious diseases. It is also a region that contributes greatly to both the global spread of and the cultural debate on antimicrobial resistance. This conference aims to bring together local scientists and renowned international experts to address this important global health issue. It targets clinical microbiologists, as well as infectious disease and public health specialists. ESCMID co-organises the conference with Sociedad Cubana de Microbiología y Parasitología, Asociación panamericana de Infectología, Sociedad Española de Enfermedades Infecciosas y Microbiología Clínica, and The Lancet Infectious Diseases.

 

Registration grant recipient Piotr Kochan has published an excellent summary of the recent ESCMID conference in Havana, Cuba.


Read more about Piotr’s experience here.

 

 

Antimicrobial Susceptibility Testing and Surveillance: from Laboratory to Clinic. A EUCAST, ESGARSand EPASG Perspective

The technical workshop Antimicrobial Susceptibility Testing and Surveillance: from Laboratory to Clinic. A EUCAST, ESGARSand EPASG Perspective organized by the ESCMID study groups for antimicrobial resistance surveillance, PK/PD of Anti-infectives, and the European Committee on Antimicrobial Susceptibility testing takes place from 25 – 28 September 2018 in Bochum, Germany. The objective of the course is to explain the process of EUCAST breakpoint definitions, and understand the rationale for the clinical breakpoints including the PK/PD approach. Trainees will learn to perform antimicrobial susceptibility testing by dilution, diffusion, and automatic techniques with a EUCAST perspective. Experts will point out the clinical implications for using the EUCAST expert rules for antimicrobial susceptibility testing, and explain the antimicrobial surveillance systems. Don’t miss out on this great opportunity to learn the importance of establishing antimicrobial guidelines and design policies!

GARDP websymposium series - Antibacterial drugs: Clinical development for non-developers Part 2: Development of antibacterial drugs targeting specific pathogens

The Global Antibiotic R&D Partnership (GARDP) has created REVIVE to connect and support the antimicrobial discovery, research, and development community. GARDP is starting a REVIVE websymposium series to share the real-life experience of experts in antimicrobial drug R&D. In this websymposium, David Shlaes will discuss development of antibacterial drugs targeting specific pathogens with Ian Friedland, Sumathi Nambiar, and Mair Powell. This group of leading experts will talk about the risks and practical challenges associated with developing a therapy for a low frequency event for which treatment must be initiated urgently.


This presentation will be followed by an interactive Q&A session.

 

Register here: https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/3130976300605129986?source=ESCMID

ESCMID/ASM Conference on Drug Development to meet the Challenge of Antimicrobial Resistance

The ESCMID/ASM conference on drug development to meet the challenge of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) will take place in Lisbon, Portugal, from 4 – 7 September 2018. The conference focusses on the development of new antimicrobial agents to tackle AMR, which remains a pressing public health problem. The multidisciplinary meeting involves basic scientists, clinical academics, regulatory bodies, funding bodies and the pharmaceutical industry. Its scope stretches from chemistry to clinical development, from neonates to adults, from bacteria to fungi – all with a global perspective. The meeting is practical, interactive with plenty of time for networking. ESCMID will support young investigators and researchers from low and middle-income countries.

 

Over 360 delegates and faculty gathered for 4 days of presentations, plenaries, roundtable discussions, as well as an extensive poster program.

Our thanks to all speakers, chairs, abstract authors, and organizational staff, for making this event such a great success.

GARDP websymposium series - Antibacterial drugs: Clinical development for non-developers Part 1: Traditional development – tiers A and B

The Global Antibiotic R&D Partnership (GARDP) has created REVIVE to connect and support the antimicrobial discovery, research, and development community. GARDP is starting a REVIVE websymposium series to share the real-life experience of experts in antimicrobial drug R&D. On June 13, David Shlaes will give a presentation about ‘Antibacterial drugs: Clinical development for non-developers. Part 1: Traditional development – tiers A and B’, followed by an interactive Q&A session.
In this websymposium, David Shlaes will introduce the relationship between the discovery phase and later clinical development and also discuss traditional clinical development pathways (tiers A and B) focusing on non-inferiority trial design. Register here to join the discussion:

 

https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/3537465747311932675?source=ESCMID 

ESCMID PGEC in China about MDR organisms and colistin resistance

ESCMID is organizing a postgraduate education course about multidrug-resistant organisms (MDROs) and colistin resistance on 25 and 26 May 2018 in Beijing, China. Clinical microbiologists, infectious disease specialists, public health specialists, or training physicians in infectious diseases may learn about infection control, therapy and rapid diagnosis of MDROs as well as colistin resistance.

ESGAP, EVASG initiate survey on shortages of antimicrobials and vaccines

Antimicrobial and vaccine shortages have been increasingly reported both in the U.S. and in Europe, and are probably going to become more and more common. ESCMID’s study groups for antimicrobial stewardship ESGAP and vaccines EVASG are conducting a survey to assess the impact of antimicrobial and vaccine shortages on physicians’ practice. You are encouraged to participate in the survey and to spread this invitation among hospital and community-based specialists. The survey will take less than 10 minutes to complete. The study groups plan to present the results at ECCMID 2019 and use them to provide guidance on antimicrobial and vaccine shortage management. Country-specific data will be provided to interested researchers. 

Antimicrobial Stewardship course in Spain before ECCMID 2018

The course Antimicrobial Stewardship: Implementing the Change organized by the ESCMID study group for antimicrobial stewardship and the Spanish study group on healthcare-associated infections GEIRAS takes place from 19 – 20 April 2018 in San Lorenzo de El Escorial in Spain – right before ECCMID 2018. The objective of the course is to teach the scientific background of antimicrobial stewardship interventions in various settings: hospital (medicine, surgery, ICU, haematology), primary care, general public, long-term care facilities. Trainees will understand the sociocultural, ethical and behavioural aspects of antimicrobial stewardship and learn about the relevance of the quality management/implementation aspects of antimicrobial stewardship. Experts will point out the barriers to antimicrobial stewardship and how to address them and will outline how to integrate antimicrobial stewardship education in undergraduate and postgraduate curricula of healthcare professionals.

ESGVM and ESGAP team up to organize a postgraduate course on antimicrobial stewardship in veterinary medicine

The ESCMID study groups for veterinary microbiology (ESGVM) and antimicrobial stewardship (ESGAP) will organize a course on the challenges in veterinary hospital infection control in Birmingham, United Kingdom, on 4 April 2018. The course will be hosted by the annual BSAVA congress (5 – 8 April 2018), one of the largest veterinary conferences worldwide. The objectives are to promote hospital infection control and antimicrobial stewardship in small animal practice and to educate a new generation of veterinary infectious disease specialists to be able to develop and implement infection control programmes and antimicrobial stewardship programmes.

ESGAP contributes to ebook on antibiotic stewardship with BASC

The study group for antibiotic stewardship contributed to the ebook Antimicrobial Stewardship – from Principles to Practice, which the British Society for Antimicrobial Chemotherapy (BSAC) published last week. This ebook nicely complements ESGAP/ESCMID’s comprehensive book on Antimicrobial stewardship that was published last year. You may download the BSAC ebook for free from the internet.

ESCMID Postgraduate Workshop on Migrant Health - Hosted in Oman

Together with the World Health Organization, the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control and Oman’s Ministry of Health, ESCMID is organizing a postgraduate workshop on migrant health from 8 – 10 March 2018. The course will show how to monitor migrants’ health and how to prevent and control infectious diseases in migrants in Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) and eastern Mediterranean countries. They will discuss the impact of migrants on the health systems of the hosting countries especially for vaccine preventable diseases, importation of communicable diseases and AMR as well as the role and impact of migrants on the elimination programmes for tuberculosis, malaria, HIV and hepatitis B and C.

EUCIC Infection Prevention starts this week in Groningen

The two-year training programme started this week with a basic and compulsory module in Groningen. Advanced modules follow in June and October of 2018, and in January, March, May and September of 2019. In addition, trainees will have the opportunity to attend local modules in different countries comprising the topics of the curriculum, follow e-learning modules, and apply for observerships.
With the EUCIC Infection Prevention and Control Certificate, EUCIC aims to provide a unique European perspective on infection prevention and control. It does this by sharing the expertise and competencies within training centres, countries and professions. This collaborative effort will result in the training of a new generation of IPC specialists. The European Centre for Disease Control (ECDC) has agreed to contribute to the training programme in the areas of surveillance, epidemiology and data analysis.

ESCMID initiatives on AMR on EAAD, WAAW and throughout the year!

At the occasion of World Antibiotic Awareness Week from 13 19 November and European Antibiotic Awareness Day 18 November several players within the ESCMID network organize a number of activities to promote prudent use of antibiotics in Europe. They include events at healthcare institutions and public campaigns on antimicrobial resistance (AMR), surveillance and antibiotic stewardship programmes.

EUCIC organizes training module for infection prevention and control

The European Committee for Infection Control (EUCIC) is organizing a training module for an Infection Prevention and Control Certificate, which aims to provide a unique European perspective on infection prevention and control. It does this by sharing the expertise and competencies within training centres, countries and professions. This collaborative effort will result in the training of a new generation of IPC specialists. For more information, please refer to EUCIC training programme website, where you can find the flyer and details about the current training programme.

Antimicrobial stewardship course in Istanbul 5 – 6 October 2017

ESCMID’s study group for antimicrobial stewardship, ESGAP, together with the Turkish Society of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases, KLIMIK, organized a postgraduate course on antimicrobial policies. Intersectoral residents and specialists interested in antimicrobial stewardship will get an overview of antimicrobial resistance, consumption surveillance as well as the implementation and integration of antimicrobial stewardship strategies and programmes.

ESCMID experts contribute to WHO report and priority list on AMR

Several ESCMID representatives contributed to a new report published by WHO, which found very few potential treatment options for the most threatening antibiotic-resistant infections. The core report is complemented by an updated document describing their priority pathogen list.

ASM/ESCMID AMR conference outlines solutions to speed up drug development

The American Society for Microbiology (ASM) and ESCMID organized a multidisciplinary meeting to address the challenges, opportunities and current requirements for antimicrobial drug development to tackle antimicrobial drug resistance. The presentations from the conference, which took place from 6 - 8 September 2017 in Boston, are available in ESCMID’s eLibrary now.

EUCIC publishes review on methodology of AMR and HAI surveillance

Members of EPI-NET, COMBACTE-NET and the EUCIC group for SUSPIRE published a systematic review, which evaluated healthcare-associated infections (HAIs) and antimicrobial resistance (AMR) indicators of 56 surveillance systems in 20 countries across Europe. Of these surveillance systems, 33 (58.9%) targeted HAIs, 45 (80.3%) AMR and 22 targeted both. The most frequent indicator of AMR was the proportion of resistant isolates (27/34 providing information; 79.42%); incidence rates were included in 18 (52.9%) systems. For HAIs in ICUs, 22 (100%) systems included data on central line-associated bloodstream infections, 19 (86.3%) included information on ventilator-associated pneumonia and catheter-associated urinary tract infections. Incidence density was the most frequent indicator in these types of infections. Regarding surgical site infections, the most frequent procedures included were hip prosthesis, colon surgery and caesarean section (21/22 systems; 95.5% of the systems). The authors conclude that publicly available information about the methods and indicators of surveillance systems is still frequently lacking and that there is a wide heterogeneity in procedures and indicators reported.

Expert commentary on the importance of setting up antibiotic stewardship teams worldwide to halt the spread of dangerous infections

An ESGAP expert commentary in Clinical Microbiology and Infection discussed the urgent need to plan and fund teams of specialist health workers to promote appropriate antibiotics use. Ideally, such teams should consist of ID specialists, microbiologists, nurses and pharmacists. Together, their collaborative effort can improve diagnosis and treatment of infections as well as prevent the rise of drug-resistant bacteria. 

Link to the full press release  and the expert opinion piece

Initiatives at EUCIC and ESGAP on EAAD 18 November

At the occasion of World Antibiotic Awareness Week from 14 - 20 November and European Antibiotic Awareness Day 18 November the European Committee on Infection Control (EUCIC) and the ESCMID Study Group for Antibiotic Policies (ESGAP) organize a number of activities to promote prudent use of antibiotics in Europe. They include events at healthcare institutions and public campaigns on antimicrobial resistance (AMR), surveillance and antibiotic stewardship programmes in Moldova, Turkey, Spain, Cyprus and the Netherlands.

ESCMID/ASM AMR conference outlines solutions to speed up drug development

The ESCMID/ASM Conference on Drug Development to Meet the Challenge of Antimicrobial Resistance has come to a close in Vienna, Austria. The conference addressed issues such as the reliance on very robust preclinical studies, innovative clinical trial design, strong academic-industrial partnerships, and a requirement for early engagement with regulatory bodies in order to facilitate the processes for accelerated antimicrobial development. You may find more information on the presentations in the ESCMID eLibrary and a press release summarizing the highlights.

ESCMID urges the UN to work towards setting binding targets and taking concrete action to effectively fight antimicrobial resistance

During the current UN General Assembly, a high-level meeting on antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is scheduled on 21 September 2016. As one of the most experienced players in this specialized field, ESCMID urges the UN to focus on concrete outcomes from this high-level meeting. Measures to effectively fight AMR should include improving surveillance of resistance, regulation of the appropriate use of antimicrobial drugs in human medicine and animal farming, education and public campaigns on overuse as well as incentives and funding systems to promote the development of new medicines, new diagnostics and innovative interventions to improve antibiotic use and infection control. We look forward to the outcomes and strongly support the work of the WHO, FAO and the OIE.

Antibiotic duration survey by ESCMID Study Group for Antibiotic Policies (ESGAP) and Société de Pathologie Infectieuse de Langue Francaise (SPILF)

We aim to explore current practices regarding durations of antibiotic treatments in common infections, in order to get an international picture on the topic. The duration of antibiotic therapy is indeed not completely solved for many infectious syndromes. The survey is intended for senior or trainee specialists in infectious diseases or clinical microbiology, clinical pharmacists, or any healthcare professional part of an antimicrobial stewardship team worldwide, provided that these professionals regularly give advice on antibiotic prescriptions (outside their own department).
The questionnaire will take around 5-7 minutes and is strictly anonymous. Click here to go to the survey and complete before the end of November 2016.

EUCAST publishes tutorial videos on antimicrobial susceptibility testing

The European Committee on Antimicrobial Susceptibility Testing (EUCAST) published five instruction videos on how to perform antimicrobial susceptibility testing (AST) using EUCAST recommended methods and interpretation. They currently include clips on preparation of inoculum, inoculation, application of disks and incubation, reading of zones and guidance on breakpoint tables.