Tackling antimicrobial resistance in Papua New Guinea

Antimicrobial resistant bacteria (AMR) is of global concern: if current trends continue, health economists estimate that by 2050 AMR could result in up to 10 million annual deaths worldwide and USD100 trillion lost in economic activity.

Burnet Institute is leading the implementation of the Papua New Guinea (PNG) Country Grant component of the Fleming Fund, a £500 million UK Aid program helping to tackle antimicrobial resistance (AMR) in low- and middle-income countries.

As drug resistant bacteria can spread freely around the environment, responses to AMR must involve multiple sectors.

Our project brings together a unique collaboration of experts in animal and human health, microbiology and surveillance, information technology and construction, all to support PNG’s domestic responses to address AMR.

Objective

Our PNG project aims to:

strengthen One Health approaches to information sharing
strengthen antimicrobial resistance, antimicrobial use (AMU) and antimicrobial consumption (AMC) surveillance and monitoring systems in the human health sector
strengthen AMR and AMU surveillance and monitoring systems in the animal health sector.

Timeline

2020–2025.

Approach

Our project’s key activities include:

strengthening national and subnational AMR governance structures including the establishment of active working groups across key sectors in PNG
workforce development such as training laboratory personnel in biosafety and laboratory management
enhancing animal health and human health laboratory infrastructure to support surveillance and diagnostic capabilities for AMR.

The Fleming Fund PNG project is establishing bacteriology diagnostics in laboratories throughout the country benefiting patients admitted to provincial hospitals in the Western Highlands, Eastern Highlands, Morobe and East New Britain provinces, as well as the National Capital District.

This laboratory strengthening has already assisted PNG with their COVID-19 responses.

The project embraces a One Health approach.

The combination of human and animal AMR surveillance will allow PNG to better understand the extent of AMR across the country and develop strategies to address AMR.