Abstract
This presentation about the policy brief written by Dr Rasha Abdelsalam Elshenawy highlights how lessons from the COVID-19 pandemic can inform and strengthen antimicrobial stewardship (AMS) strategies to address the global threat of antimicrobial resistance (AMR). In this presentation, Dr Elshenawy explores the dual challenges of COVID-19 and AMR, showing how AMS programmes were disrupted due to increased antibiotic misuse, reduced infection prevention measures, and weakened surveillance systems—especially in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). Drawing on the South Centre’s Policy Brief 136, five key lessons are presented: integrating AMS into pandemic preparedness plans, enhancing AMR surveillance, improving diagnostic infrastructure, promoting rational antibiotic use, and advancing a One Health approach. The presentation concludes with a set of actionable policy recommendations, calling for global leaders to prioritise AMS in emergency planning, enforce regulatory measures, and ensure equitable access to stewardship resources. These insights are essential to building resilient health systems prepared for future pandemics.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Number of pages | 47 |
| Publication status | Published - 14 Apr 2025 |
| Event | South Centre Webinar on AMS & COVID-19 - Virtual, Geneva, Switzerland Duration: 14 Apr 2025 → 14 Apr 2025 https://www.southcentre.int/sc-webinar-on-ams-covid-19-14-april-2025/ |
Conference
| Conference | South Centre Webinar on AMS & COVID-19 |
|---|---|
| Country/Territory | Switzerland |
| City | Geneva |
| Period | 14/04/25 → 14/04/25 |
| Other | In this one-hour webinar, we will explore how the COVID-19 pandemic impacted antimicrobial stewardship (AMS) programmes and what lessons can strengthen future pandemic preparedness, especially in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). |
| Internet address |
Keywords
- antimicrobial stewardship (AMS)
- Antimicrobial stewardship (AMS)
- Antimicrobial Stewardship (AMS)
- Antimicrobial resistance (AMR)
- COVID-19 pandemic
- COVID-19 Pandemic
- Policy Brief
- Dr Rasha Abdelsalam Elshenawy
- South Centre
- Global health policy
- Pandemic preparedness
- Preparedness
- Infection Prevention and Control (IPC)
- Antibiotic Misuse
- Antibiotic misuse
- One Health Approach
- AMR surveillance
- Health system resilience
- Low- and Middle-Income Countries (LMICs)
- Diagnostic infrastructure
- Rational antibiotic use
- Healthcare worker training
- Digital surveillance tools
- Digital surveillance
- Sustainable AMS strategies
- Universal health coverage (UHC)
- Global health
- Global Health
- global health care
- Global Health Security
- UKHSA
- United Nations
- United Nations SDGs