ASM’s Global Public Health Programs Awarded Funding to Combat Antimicrobial Resistance
Washington, D.C. – December 7, 2021 – °®¶¹´«Ã½’s Global Public Health Program has been awarded $600,000 in funding from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to support the first year of a 5-year program aimed at combatting antimicrobial resistance (AMR) and other healthcare threats through AMR surveillance and prevention work. The total awarded amount is up to $4 million. ASM and its partners, the , l and ASM’s global consultants, will strengthen global AR preparedness and response via a collaborative approach through CDC’s newly established network, the Global AR Laboratory and Response Network (Global AR Lab & Response Network).The Global AR Lab & Response Network will span 50 countries and will improve the detection of emerging AMR threats and identify risk factors that drive the emergence and spread of AMR across health care, the community, and the environment (the One Health spectrum). ASM’s AMR surveillance work will focus on countries in Central America and South America.
At the forefront of global public health, lies the ability for in-country, integrated health systems to detect, respond to, and prevent threats posed by infectious disease and antimicrobial resistance,” said Wes Kim, Assistant Director of Global Public Health Programs, ASM. “Improving detection and monitoring of AMR pathogens in community and healthcare settings is crucial towards addressing this pressing public health concern. We are grateful for the resources to continue partnering with CDC to confront AMR and make the world a safer place.”
ASM and its partners have designed a program that aims to achieve the following near-term outcomes:
1. Improve surveillance capacity to detect and monitor the emerging antimicrobial resistance of Bordetella pertussis by:
- Increasing ability of clinical and reference laboratory staff to accurately and rapidly detect emerging AMR in bacterial and respiratory pathogens
- Increasing ability of clinical and reference laboratory staff to collect epidemiologic data and/or set up surveillance for emerging AMR in bacterial and respiratory pathogens, and manage data to inform public health decision- making.
“Antimicrobial resistance is not going away, and new AR threats will continue to emerge. CDC’s domestic AMR Lab Network is an established model for detecting emerging antimicrobial resistance threats. Today, these new investments will build on this model and span much of the globe, leveraging proven expertise to fill critical gaps and inform data-driven responses before threats can spread in communities, across borders, or around the world,” said Denise Cardo, M.D., Director of CDC’s Division of Healthcare Quality Promotion. “We also know that evidence-based prevention in health care stops AR threats and other infectious diseases. These new programs will fill infection control gaps to keep patients safe and contain threats immediately when they do inevitably emerge.”
Partner Organizations
A total of $22 million in funded was awarded to 28 organizations around the world to combat antimicrobial resistance (AR) and other healthcare threats. These institutions received these awards through a competitive selection process based on scientific needs and funds available. Along with ASM, the organizations receiving funding include: American Type Culture Collection (ATCC); American University of Beirut; Association of Public Health Laboratories (APHL); Columbia University; Duke University; Family Health International (FHI360); FIOTEC; Global Scientific Solutions; Health Security Partners; icddr,b; Johns Hopkins University; Koperasi Jasa Institut Riset Eijkman; Northwestern University; Pakistan National Institute of Health; Pan American Health Organization (PAHO); The Ohio State University; U.S. Civilian Research & Development Foundation (CRDF); Universidad de Desarrollo; University of Campinas; University of Cantabria; University of Nairobi; University of Oxford; University of Pennsylvania; Vanderbilt University; Washington State University; Washington University in St. Louis; and World Health Organization (WHO).
About the Global AR Lab & Response Network
CDC’s Global AR Lab & Response Network will build on successes of its sister program, the U.S. Antimicrobial Resistance Lab Network, which was established in 2016. It will target emerging and existing AMR threats, such as healthcare pathogens, drug-resistant enteric pathogens, fungal pathogens, invasive bacterial and respiratory pathogens, and Neisseria gonorrhoeae. The Global AR Lab & Response Network will also collaborate with CDC’s Global Action in Healthcare Network (GAIHN) in growing laboratory expertise and detecting AR threats in health care.
In addition to the Lab Response network, CDC has also invested in short-term global antimicrobial resistance innovation research projects, working with investigators to identify new public health solutions to prevent antimicrobial-resistant infections and their spread. Findings from the global antimicrobial resistance innovation projects may later be integrated into the Global AR Lab & Response Network to transform the way the world responds to AR across the spectrum. .
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ASM is dedicated to the life sciences and is composed of 30,000 scientists and health practitioners. ASM's mission is to promote and advance the microbial sciences. ASM advances the microbial sciences through conferences, publications, certifications, educational opportunities and advocacy efforts. It enhances laboratory capacity around the globe through training and resources. It provides a network for scientists in academia, industry and clinical settings. Additionally, ASM promotes a deeper understanding of the microbial sciences to diverse audiences.
