KICK AMR: kickstarting antimicrobial resistance responses in Papua New Guinea

Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) has emerged as one of the greatest global health security threats of our time. Countries such as Papua New Guinea (PNG) may be disproportionately impacted by AMR due to resource, capacity, governance, and health system constraints. 

In response to this threat, PNG has developed a multisectoral National Actional Plan (NAP) on AMR (2017-2020). The NAP officially launched in August 2019 as a collaborative effort by the National Department of Health, Department of Agriculture and Livestock and the Department of Environment and Conservation. 

This 4-year project was supported by the Australian NGO Cooperation Program (ANCP). It focused on building the capacity of key hospital and laboratory staff and strengthening hospital-based systems to respond to the threat of AMR.

The project aligned and contributed to the strategic objectives of the PNG National Action Plan for AMR (2017-2020) and centred around the three core AMR domains of microbiology, infection prevention and control, and antimicrobial stewardship.

Objective

This project aimed to build the capacity of individuals and improve hospital-based systems at PMGH and CPHL to address the threat of AMR in major health facilities. 

Strengthen hospital microbiology systems for AMR

The project aimed to improve:

• • functional systems for the routine surveillance and analysis of microbiological data in Port Moresby General Hospital (PMGH) and Central Public Health Laboratories (CPHL)
  • timely, effective communication of microbiological data from CPHL to clinicians at PMGH for consideration in patient management.

Develop antimicrobial stewardship in hospitals

The project supported functional antimicrobial stewardship systems at the facility level by facilitating the implementation and utilisation of updated standardised antibiotic guidelines as a stewardship tool at PMGH.

Improve hospital infection prevention and control systems

The project:

• supported the establishment of effective systems for infection prevention and control at the facility level in PMGH
• strengthened the capacity of key health staff at PMGH/CPHL to develop systems and guidelines related to three core AMR domains (microbiology, IPC, AMS) and implement and manage effective, functional AMR systems.