Antimicrobial resistance surveillance is paramount, says IAP YPL alumnus Suraj Bhattarai

IAP Young Physician Leaders (YPL) alumnus Suraj Bhattarai (2016 cohort) carried on a research project on ‘mortality surveillance’ in Nepal with support from RTI International and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. Some of its findings have now been published in Clinical Infectious Disease, a top infectious disease journal.

The articles (open access) are:

1. Burden of Serious Bacterial Infections and Multidrug-Resistant Organisms in an Adult Population of Nepal: A Comparative Analysis of Minimally Invasive Tissue Sampling Informed Mortality Surveillance of Community and Hospital Deaths
2. Building Capacity and Infrastructure at Hospitals Implementing Minimally Invasive Tissue Sampling: Experience and Lessons Learned From Nepal, Rwanda, and Tanzania
3. Cost Evaluation of Minimally Invasive Tissue Sampling (MITS) Implementation in Low- and Middle-Income Countries

His research shows a high burden of serious bacterial infections and multi-drug resistant (MDR) bacteria causing deaths in the adult population of Gandaki Province, Nepal.

“These research findings reiterate the importance of Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) surveillance at the national level and antibiotic stewardship programs at the health facility and community level,” Dr. Bhattarai explains.

One of the articles cites the 2013 IAP Statement on Antimicrobial Resistance: A call for action, a document that defines antimicrobial resistance “a global threat, requiring collaboration worldwide to generate the resources for antibiotic innovation and to ensure optimal treatment for all.”

YPL representation in research and policy workshops: 'Global health inequalities following the COVID-19 pandemic'

2016 YPL alumni Suraj Bhattarai and Mary E. Ashinyo have been nominated to join the steering committee for a series of workshops on 'global health inequalities following the COVID-19 pandemic', organized by the UK Academy of Medical Sciences and the InterAcademy Partnership (IAP). Three international workshops will take place online later in 2022.