May 30, 2024
Overview:
Environmental surveillance is gaining attention as a tool to track antibiotic resistance (ABR) in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), offering a way to monitor ABR trends locally and globally. While there has been significant discussion around the technical and scientific methods involved, less attention has been given to the practical challenges that could make implementing these solutions tough in real-world settings. This One Health Trust co-authored study explored the feasibility of using environmental surveillance to monitor ABR, identifying key hurdles and considering ways to make this approach more achievable in LMICs.
The question:
What are the practical barriers to ABR environmental surveillance in LMICs and what are the effective approaches to overcome these challenges?
The Findings:
The researchers identified three main challenges to environmental surveillance for tracking antibiotic resistance in low- and middle-income countries: infrastructure, institutional support, and social dynamics. They found that current approaches to deal with these challenges often backfire. For instance, experts may avoid certain regions, use less effective methods, or miss opportunities to work with local communities. These findings highlight the importance of collaboration between researchers, international organizations, and governments to make ABR surveillance more practical and successful in these areas.
Read the article in Global Health Action here.